Ormston House: Recent Episodes
Ormston House
Ormston House is a meeting place for the arts in the heart of Limerick City. Our programme is co-designed with citizens to promote access and inclusion, resulting in community partnerships, multi-annual projects and cultural events that are responsive to the city and its context. We have developed a participatory model to connect local wisdom with diverse approaches to artistic practice.
Get Well Soon (prologue) is a group exhibition drawing a connection between human and planetary exhaustion. This audio guide serves as walk through of the exhibition for those with additional access requirements or who cannot visit the exhibition in person.
Curated by Lucy Lopez, the exhibition brings together works by Roo Dhissou, Kyla Harris & Lou Macnamara, Rowena Harris, Bint Mbareh, Harun Morrison (with Satpreet Kahlon), Jamila Prowse, Benoît Piéron, Lorenzo Sandoval, and Rehana Zaman.
A prologue for a long-term project, the exhibition hosts works which set intentions for less extractive worlds. Get Well Soon borrows its title from a 2020 text by Johanna Hedva, written in the midst of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hedva wrote that we were experiencing what happens ‘when care insists on itself, when the care of others becomes mandatory, when it takes up space and money and labour and energy’ (Hedva, 2020). They chart the revolutionary potential of sickness: ‘a revolution… might look like hundreds of thousands of bodies in bed, organising a rent strike, separating life’s value from capitalist productivity’ (Hedva, 2020). The long-term project Get Well Soon acknowledges a state of sickness: societal, planetary, interpersonal. We are living through a time of planetary burnout, climate emergency, extractivism and exhaustion; of late-stage capitalism and austerity logic; a time where care is in crisis, privatised beyond recognition. Amongst these crises, how can the space of art model new imaginaries and ways of living? How can we work in and of a place of sickness, rather than under the illusion of wellness? How can we build rest, community care and restorative justice into our work?
Get Well Soon (prologue) engages with ideas of pacing: from the engineered flows of waterways, to the way time is experienced—sometimes measured in spoons—for disabled, crip, and chronically ill communities, to the way that routines as personal as daily meals can be imbued with ideas of family and grief. From Rehana Zaman’s exploration of the social currencies and economies of modern agriculture in Arbroath, Scotland, to Lorenzo Sandoval’s narrativising of ecological degradation in south-eastern Spain, the works exhibited also play witness to the impacts of capitalist and colonial extraction on both our bodies and our environments. Sitting with ideas of sickness, burnout and loss, the exhibition aims to also depict the joys and world-building possibilities of thinking from this perspective.
The exhibition opened on Friday, 17 November 2023 and runs until Saturday 3 February 2024. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Get Well Soon (prologue) is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick City & County Council.
In the second episode of the Artist-Run-Network-Europe (ARNE) Podcast, Ormston House’s Niamh Brown speaks with independent curator and co-director of Juxtapose Art Fair, Pam Grombacher.
Pam Grombacher is an independent curator based in Aarhus, Denmark. In 2021, Grombacher assumed the role of co-director of the inaugural Juxtapose Art Fair, a biennale for artist-run organisations in Aarhus, Denmark. At Juxtapose, she leads the Nordic Visitors Program, runs the Think Tanks, and focuses on the fair’s approach to sustainability. It was here that she discussed the topic of sustainability during the “Talking Change” conference organised by ARNE and Copenhagen-based Syndicate of Creatures. In this episode, Niamh and Pam discuss her involvement with Juxtapose, her ideas around sustainability, and her plans for the future.
Visit here for more information on Juxtapose Art Fair.
Welcome to the Artist-Run-Network-Europe (ARNE) podcast. In our first episode, Ormston House’s Niamh Brown speaks with artist and founding member of Best Before Collective, Belinda Morén.
In 2021 Morén participated in ARNE partner Candyland’s course in “Artist-Run Theory and Practice” at Konstfack – University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm. Morén, along with some of her fellow graduates went on to form Best Before Collective. A diverse group of artists, curators, crafters and art enthusiasts, the collective work together to create exhibition opportunities for their members, and had their first public presentation at Supermarket Independent Art Fair 2021. Today, the Collective continues to exhibit in their window space in central Stockholm. In this episode, Niamh and Belinda discuss her experience of the course at Konstfack and working as part of the collective.
Visit here for more information on Belinda’s practice and here for more information on Best Before Collective.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
In episode 9, we hear from two Repeal campaigners who canvassed in Limerick City. Jane Conway is a teacher who experienced infant loss in 2015 and told her story to countless people during the campaign. Seán Lynch joined the campaign to help his friends, and also became a canvass leader. Featuring Jane Conway and Seán Lynch. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
In our final episode, we hear about the final days of the campaign in Limerick, the vote and the all-important results. Featuring Yvie, Jennifer Schweppe, Thomas Bibby and Jimi Kavanagh. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
In episode 6, local artist Sinead Dineen discusses the way art was used in the campaign to Repeal the 8th Amendment, including the Cut Out Dolls, Ukealadies, and Artists' Campaign to Repeal the 8th Repeal Procession at EVA. Featuring Sinead Dineen with a performance from the Ukealadies. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive from the Together for Yes campaign.
A special bonus episode of Together For Yurt. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
On the year anniversary of Repealing the 8th Amendment - an occasion we're calling Repealmas - we met up with some of the canvassers we didn't get a chance to chat to before. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
In episode 7, we move away from Limerick city and hear from some of our County canvassers, who campaigned to repeal the 8th in towns and villages across Co. Limerick. Featuring Vicky Murphy and Ellen Dillon. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
In episode 8, we hear from some of our youngest and most dedicated campaigners - students at UL. The students at University of Limerick voted to became a pro-choice campus in 2018 and many of the members of the UL Feminist Society were regular and integral Repeal canvassers. Featuring Liz Gabbett, Megan Thornton, Nollaig O'Cuill and Matthew Markham. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
In episode 5 we visit Ormston House, the headquarters for Limerick Together For Yes which acted as a place for voters to find out more information and pick up a badge or Repeal jumper. Ultimately Ormston became a safe space for Yes campaigners to come together and share stories and concerns, and for help. Featuring Yvie, Mary Conlon, Amy Sheehan, Olivia Chau, Karen Sugrue, Niamh Brown, and of course, Nelly the dog. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
In episode 4 we hear from more canvassers for Limerick Together for Yes. Ciara Kane talks about her busy role as administrator and first point of contact for all Limerick’s canvassers, Kevin O’Connor talks about the fine line of wanting to help to Repeal the 8th and not speak over women, and Helena Close discusses watching her daughter Niamh Carmody become an activist. Featuring Ciara Kane, Kevin O’Connor, Helena Close and Niamh Carmody. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
Episode 3 looks at canvassing for Limerick Together for Yes. Rose McInerney talks about her experiences on the doors, and Deirdre Flynn discusses her role as canvass lead. Poet Sarah Clancy also performs her poem 'For All of Our Heartbeats'. Featuring Sarah Clancy, Rose McInerney and Deirdre Flynn. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
Episode 2 looks at the start of canvassing for Limerick Together for Yes, and the official launch of the campaign in Limerick to Repeal the 8th Amendment. Dave Tobin and Jess Beeley hear from politicians involved in the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, and who worked with LT4Y. And Beth tells us about the origins of the much-coveted Together for Yurt badge. Featuring Yvie, Dave Tobin, Thomas Bibby, Jennifer Schweppe, Jan O'Sullivan, Paul Gavan and Beth O'Neill. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin with assistance from Thomas Bibby, and narrated by Jess Beeley.
Episode 1 examines the origins of the Limerick campaign from RepealLK to Limerick Together for Yes, and the forming of the Limerick-wide Fellowship to Repeal the 8th. Featuring Yvie, Jennifer Schweppe, Helena Close and Beth O'Neill. Visit https://togetherforyurt.home.blog for photos from the Limerick campaign.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
Together for Yurt is a podcast looking back at the 2018 Limerick Together for Yes campaign to repeal the 8th Amendment. This podcast is produced by Dave Tobin and narrated by Jess Beeley.
We interview organisers, canvassers and volunteers who took part in this historic campaign. From the origins of RepealLK to our first canvass, our base in Ormston House, and final monster canvass, you’ll hear the stories of the wide range of people who helped to make Repeal happen in Limerick city and county. Their experiences reflect many of those of Yes campaigners across Ireland.
Ormston House is proud to host this important archive of the Together for Yes campaign.
The year is 1934. Extraordinary events are unfolding in Limerick city as a radio pirate takes control of the local airwaves. Jim O’Carroll, an aspiring electrical engineer, became one of the first radio pirates in Ireland when he discovered he could transmit a signal across the city. Broadcasting each night from a friend’s attic, the City Broadcasting Service (CBS) was born. The broadcasts were hosted by Jim, under the moniker Billy Dynamite, his friend Charlie O’Connor aka Al Dubbin, and their pal Mikey Madden. They played records from Jim’s collection, read out the headlines from the newspapers, had a What’s On section, and even gave swimming lessons live on air.
The Pirate (2022) is a radio documentary by Peter Curtin, commissioned on the occasion of Engine of Hell curated by Caimin Walsh at Ormston House. Our thanks to the Arts Council of Ireland. You can read more about The Pirate and Peter Curtin at ormstonhouse.com/programme/the-pirate/
For our final podcast of 2020, Inês Cavaco and Hamish Rhodes share their experience of curating and coordinating the Govan Production Residency for our Scottish partner, Fablevision, amidst shifting COVID-19 restrictions. Following the warm welcome from local artists, activists, businesses and communities during the research residency last year, the Memory of Water team was determined to stay connected and to deliver useful artistic projects in real life but remotely.
Memory of Water (2018-2020) is an artist-led project exploring post-industrial waterfront heritage in the context of community development and urban planning in six European cities. We are funded by Creative Europe, and Ormston House, the Irish partner, is co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick Culture and Arts Office.
www.memoryofwater.online
Roman Sebastyański curated the City Labs for the Memory of Water project at the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdańsk, Poland. He brought together artists, activists, politicians, property developers and other key stakeholders to discuss the future of the former Gdańsk Shipyard area, and the importance of cultural heritage to the identity of the city. In this episode of the Memory of Water podcast, he talks with Mary Conlon about the need for, and the benefits of, this dialogic process, and how he devised key themes as a strategy for collecting the ideas and dreams of citizens.
Memory of Water (2018-2020) is an artist-led project exploring post-industrial waterfront heritage in the context of community development and urban planning in six European cities. We are funded by Creative Europe, and Ormston House, the Irish partner, is co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick Culture and Arts Office.
www.memoryofwater.online
In this episode of the Memory of Water podcast, we meet Agnieszka Wołodźko who curated our Research and Production Residencies in the former Gdańsk Shipyard in Poland. Agnieszka introduces her participatory practice as an artist and as a curator, and shares her personal memories of the Solidarity Movement, the importance of this history to the people of Gdańsk, and her motivations for generating new conversations on the future of this post-industrial space.
Memory of Water (2018-2020) is an artist-led project exploring post-industrial waterfront heritage in the context of community development and urban planning in six European cities. We are funded by Creative Europe, and Ormston House, the Irish partner, is co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick Culture and Arts Office.
www.memoryofwater.online
t s Beall is a socially-engaged artist and researcher based in Glasgow and Dumfries. She works with communities on long-term or durational projects to recover and highlight marginalised histories. Her work spans a variety of media including performative events and guided art-walks. For this episode of the Memory of Water project, she describes her approach to engaging with local customs and honouring women’s histories through participatory events during the international residency programme in Greece, Poland and Scotland.
Memory of Water (2018-2020) is an artist-led project exploring post-industrial waterfront heritage in the context of community development and urban planning in six European cities. We are funded by Creative Europe, and Ormston House, the Irish partner, is co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick Culture and Arts Office.
www.memoryofwater.online
Ira Brami is a performance artist, mask-maker and artistic director. For the Memory of Water project, Ira Brami represented our Greek partner, the Municipality of Levadia. In this episode of our podcast, she describes the experience of working with retired shipyard worker, Mrs. Ula Ściubeł in Poland, and with community activist, Helen Kyle in Scotland during the international residency programme. She also describes returning to Levadia in Greece during the easing of COVID-19 restrictions to engage with the artists and communities of the river city for her final artwork.
Memory of Water (2018-2020) is an artist-led project exploring post-industrial waterfront heritage in the context of community development and urban planning in six European cities. We are funded by Creative Europe, and Ormston House, the Irish partner, is co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick Culture and Arts Office.
www.memoryofwater.online
Mary Conroy’s work investigates humans’ connection with nature through socially-engaged practice, including participation and intervention. For the Memory of Water podcast, she talks us through her three projects developed during the international residency programme in Levadia, Gdańsk and Govan, engaging with the natural environment in three distinct locations. She also shares how she adapted her contribution in Scotland through a remote but authentic engagement with local community following COVID-19 restrictions on travel.
Memory of Water (2018-2020) is an artist-led project exploring post-industrial waterfront heritage in the context of community development and urban planning in six European cities. We are funded by Creative Europe, and Ormston House, the Irish partner, is co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick Culture and Arts Office.
www.memoryofwater.online
Jonas Myrstrand is the next guest on our Memory of Water podcast. He describes his dual role of artist and film-maker on the project. Over the course of two years, Jonas has been interviewing artists, community participants, local experts, and residents at all events during the international residency programme and city labs. He has been commissioned by our Swedish partner, Intercult, to document the team in six countries and to produce a final feature-length film of our interconnected activities.
Memory of Water (2018-2020) is an artist-led project exploring post-industrial waterfront heritage in the context of community development and urban planning in six European cities. We are funded by Creative Europe, and Ormston House, the Irish partner, is co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick Culture and Arts Office.
www.memoryofwater.online
In episode two of the Memory of Water podcast, spray-can artist Vynck talks with Mary Conlon about how he turned his graffiti skills into a full-time job and his experience of working in Levadia, Gdańsk and Govan during the international residency programme. When he was unable to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions this year, the artist made a graffiti manual for non-trained artists in Govan, and the Municipality of Ostend made a film of the artist, in his home town, painting a mural about the local fishing industry to mark Heritage Day 2020.
Memory of Water (2018-2020) is an artist-led project exploring post-industrial waterfront heritage in the context of community development and urban planning in six European cities. We are funded by Creative Europe, and Ormston House, the Irish partner, is co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick Culture and Arts Office. .
www.memoryofwater.online
Welcome to the Memory of Water podcast. In our first episode, Artistic Director, Mary Conlon talks with Iwona Zając, the artist who represents our Polish partner at the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre. She describes her practice, including her iconic Gdańsk shipyard mural, and her artistic interventions for the international residency programme in Greece, Poland and Scotland.
Memory of Water (2018-2020) is an artist-led project exploring post-industrial waterfront heritage in the context of community development and urban planning in six European cities. We are funded by Creative Europe, and Ormston House, the Irish partner, is co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick Culture and Arts Office. In this episode, Artistic Director, Mary Conlon meets with artist, Iwona Zając who represents our Polish partner, Baltic Sea Cultural Centre.
www.memoryofwater.online