The Bees Knees - a spectacle for St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Sharon Dipity
24 February to 17 March 2017
Studio 3
Studio open to the public on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays

West Cork Arts Centre has commissioned Sharon Dipity to create a spectacle for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Skibbereen. For this year’s parade Sharon will be celebrating the humble honey bee.

The honey bee is one of the most important insects to human existence on the earth; they are guardians of the food chain and support the critical functioning of our ecosystems and biodiversity. Unfortunately they are under threat of extinction and declining bee populations pose a serious threat to global agriculture.

While acknowledging the plight of the remarkable bee and the seriousness of the situation, Sharon hopes to have some fun with the theme and create a buzz around the hive of activity that is the West Cork Arts Centre. She will be involving different programmes at the centre such as Drama and Art Club; Alan Foley Academy of Dance; Arts for Health; dancer in residence, Helga Deasy; and visitors to Uillinn.

Sharon is looking for busy bees from all over Skibbereen to be involved in generating ideas, making and/or participating in the parade and welcomes all to come along on any of the studio open days to participate in the making and creating.

Sharon worked with Craic na Coilllte Theatre Company (1995-98) creating costumes, large scale sculptures, puppets and props for many street parades and performances around Ireland including the St. Patrick’s Day Parades in Dublin.  She has created characters that she performed solo and has also made costumes, puppets and props for theatre in Ireland and the UK.

She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Scenography from U.C.E, Birmingham and a B.A. Honours Degree in Textiles from Goldsmiths College, University of London. Sharon has exhibited in solo and group shows in Ireland and Europe, and is currently represented by The Twenty Twenty Art Gallery, Cork. In 2014, Sharon was commissioned by HSE South Cork Arts and Health Programme to create a series of artworks for Blackrock Hall Primary Care Centre.

She has been awarded several arts residencies and grants including funding from Cork County Council and the Arts Council of Ireland and was awarded residencies at The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Co. Monaghan with a bursary from Cork County Council in 2010; at The Cill Rialaig Project, Kerry in 2011; and at Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre in 2016. Sharon has extensive experience facilitating art sessions with young people and adults and has been working as an artist practitioner on the Arts for Health Partnership Programme since 2007.

Follow Sharon’s progress on her Facebook page

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

Images thanks to: Kevin O'Farrell Photographer