Press Release

Mayor launches “Future Vision” for Shantallow book

Friday, December 01, 2006

The Mayor, Councillor Helen Quigley will officiate at the launch of a book entitled “Future Visions” at the Shantallow Community Centre on Friday 01 December 2006 at 12.30 pm. The book has been published as part of a community arts competition organised by the Derry City Council Arts and Regeneration Programme in partnership with the Greater Shantallow Community Arts.

The competition, entitled Arts Empty Spaces Beautiful Places, was held in the Greater Shantallow and Galliagh areas of the city between September and November as part of Derry City Council’s Arts and Regeneration Programme aimed at encouraging people living and working in these areas to help create a vision on how they would like to see it developed.

Praising the project, the Mayor said it was a wonderful example of partnership between the Council, the Arts Council for Northern Ireland, the Greater Shantallow Community Arts Project and local residents, community organisations and schools.

“This is an excellent project which encourages the local community to take an active part in the development of their area. The competition was an excellent way to allow the local community to express themselves creatively and have their ideas and thoughts acknowledged through the publication of the book.

Alice McCartney, Arts and Regeneration Officer with Derry City Council explained that as part of the competition, submissions looked at practical issues such as health and safety, age groups and ability levels of the users of local spaces. “When it came to developing their designs and ideas the submissions to the competition showed not only a clear understanding of the needs of the local area but a creativity and vision which in many cases were fascinating, humorous and inventive.”

The Mayor added that community led initiatives such as this were a wonderful way of involving the community in the development of their area. “It gives people a sense of ownership and pride in the work they have done and in the area that they live.”

Over the coming months the vision created through the Arts and Regeneration Programme will be made available to statutory and community organizations responsible for the delivery of neighborhood renewal and will act as a model of good practice and a potential starting point for the inclusion of the local vision in the overall development of the Empty Spaces and Beautiful Places in this area.

“Derry City Council looks forward to continuing this successful partnership and to developing equally successful and creative future partnerships in the Arts and Regeneration projects initiated for year two of this three-year programme,” the Mayor added.

Ends

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