I recently went to a lecture in Dublin to see Jeanne Van Heeswijk (1965), she lives in the Netherlands. Since 1993 she has set up social art projects which take place in all sorts of public spaces. Check out her website
http://www.jeanneworks.net/ . She engages the people in communities by asking them what they would like to see happening in their areas. What do people think of public spaces? We all have to live together and sometimes anti-social behaviour can impact on public spaces but it's very important that the community remains engaged and are pro-active in creating a better place to live in.
I recently seen a programme were the local authorities asked the people did they want a park or allotment outside their houses on the green areas they opted for the allotment and the project has been very successful, where families and friends can meet to socialize and help each other.
Whilst in Dublin at the lecture at NCAD it made me think about the area I grew up in and how that has changed so much, and the communities that existed. As for Thomas Street and Meath Street the shops are now large chain stores Tesco Express, Centra totally impersonal stores and very few street traders are left that created a unique atmosphere. Frawley's was the main store and sold almost everything. Even though we had the big property boom Thomas Street has still run down buildings. The grotto at Meath Street Church still remains for people to have a place to relax in the middle of the City. Faith was so important to people in the past and people still visit the grotto today. To finish off my visit down memory lane I had a big bag of chips from the take away that my Granny would visit with me as a child returning from Bingo.
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| Thomas Street |
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| Meath Street with Liberty Market |
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Grotto Meath Street
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