Calling Home #1
Toma McCullim (Ire)
7 February to 21 February 2020

During this short residency at Uillinn Toma will be holding open studio to invite people to be part of ‘Calling Home’ an innovative participatory arts project which seeks to honour the experiences of Irish people who left Ireland during the 50’s and 60’s for new lives in other countries. Toma has been collecting stories from participants in Skibbereen Luncheon Club, Skibbereen Day Centre and in Schull, Bantry and Skibbereen Hospital. This project seeks to brings older people into connection through new technologies. We are reaching out to reunite West Cork diaspora and remember together what it was like to leave home and what it was like to be left behind. In this time, when we are hearing so many conversations about present day immigration, we are giving voice to the lived wisdom of our elders to tell us of the things they experienced.

In the studio Toma will be working with participants to illustrate some of their stories using objects and sound recordings housed in old suitcases. These cases will form a touring exhibition.

‘I am particularly excited this year to working with Ludgate Hub and Business to Arts to partner my work with Uillinn WCAC  Arts for Health Partnership . I will be encouraging lots of networking across our wider community to fully integrate our programme into our collective shared cultural life.’

Toma is Presently Ludgate Hub, Artist in Residence.

With the Ludgate Hub AR Programme, as part of the Business to Arts AR Programme in partnership with the Creative Ireland Programme’s National Creativity Fund, with support from Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre Arts for Health Programme.

WCAC acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council and Cork County Council in making these residencies possible.