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North Tipperary Arts Office created a part time Visual Artist Residency in North Tipperary for a six month period from February – August 07. The aim of the residency is to provide opportunities for a Local, National or International artist to research and develop their work practice, in response to their time within the North Tipperary region over the six month period.

Due to the distinctive rural context of North Tipperary the Arts Office expressed a particular interest in artists developing work and exploring

Arts in Rural contexts

Arts in the context of Regeneration

Arts & Ecology/Arts and the Environment

Land Art

Artists were asked to make a proposal as to how they would approach the residency and what they would hope to achieve, and also to address the legacy to be left by the Residency.

Fiona Woods was selected for this Residency. Her practice is multifaceted; she is as likely to organise discussions groups or curate exhibitions as she is to make public sculptures or small objects, take photographs or make paintings.

For the last few years her work has focused on experimental strategies for public art in rural contexts. As an artist, a curator and an arts coordinator she has conducted research into the relationship between contemporary arts practice and rural contexts.  

“What I have learned in the last four years is;

• The richness of cultural forms that saturate the rural context;
• The shift that is turning the rural context from a place of production to a place of consumption and the effect that this is having on rural communities;
• The importance of spoken culture;
• The value of exchange;
• How to develop meaningful dialogue with rural communities;
• The absolute necessity of consulting communities to find what they need or want.

I have an interest in rural knowledge – that which is beyond empirical knowledge, but functions in a very real way – water divining, amateur weather forecasting, animal healing and others. These are ideas that I want to explore through my direct practice. This residency will allow me to do so, but will also force me to remain answerable to a rural community. I hope to exchange values with a rural community – I don’t believe the artist bestows anything! It’s about mutual respect and an exchange of skills and knowledge.

The following is the methodology that I will use;

Consult, listen, consider.

Identify, gather, map.

Re-consider, articulate, initiate / generate.

Document, disseminate, evaluate.

Post-residency stages are likely to include

Identify, re-consider, distill.

Implement / initiate

The following are the principles that I will apply;

Get to know the context

Find out what is at stake

Identify stakeholders

Articulate motivations

Be clear about ownership

Try to generate something sustainable