"CONNECTING THROUGH CREATIVITY" TEACH SOLAIS X BLOOM | THE ART PROJECT

Location: Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan

Key Message: You Belong. Celebrating the cultural diversity and sense of belonging that the community of Ballyjamesduff encapsulates.

A collaboration between Bloom | The Art Project and Teach Solais as a reminder to the community that everyone is seen, cared for, welcomed and celebrated.

After a very lovely, heart-warming community workshop (you can read all about it here) we began the process of bringing the ideas and insights provided by the kind folks of Ballyjamesduff to life.

We were joined by some friendly faces throughout the mural painting, as we had let everyone who attended the workshop know that they were more than welcome to pop down and grab a paintbrush. As with all our murals, we always encourage collaboration and community involvement at all possible stages.

This mural turned out to be one of our absolute favourites. We loved what it represented; togetherness, pride, individuality and inclusivity. These were points that were really important to Teach Solais, when they initially drafted the proposal for the project. We were so happy that we could combine genuine feedback from the participants at the workshop with the original brief and that they would complement each other so well.

Over the course of the few days, as we were completing the mural, we had many visitors pop over to us. We were especially fond of the children who came over to ask inquisitive questions about the mural and what it represents. They often told us what they saw when they looked at it. We were blown away by their perspectives and felt a sense of hope and optimism after speaking with them. It really reminded us of the power of art to influence and inspire new ways of thinking and how it serves as a reflection of the ever changing times we live in. There is space for Everyone to Belong, especially in Ballyjamesduff.