A new public art project inspired by the Clondalkin Paper Mill and the legacy of the 1980s’ strikes there, is set to begin in Clondalkin this month. The project, The Mill, is commissioned under IN CONTEXT 4 – IN OUR TIME, South Dublin County Council’s Public Art Programme for 2016-2019 under the Per Cent for Art Scheme.
Led by writer Nathan O’Donnell, The Mill will engage with a group of young people in Clondalkin to produce a magazine, derived from the legacy of the strikes and a history of radical publishing. Clondalkin was home to one of the last of Ireland’s paper mills; the closure of the mill in 1982 marked the end of a centuries-old traditional industry along the Camac river, as well as generating an important moment in the history of protest in Ireland.
The Mill takes its cue from these legacies, focusing on the history of paper-making in Ireland, as well as the intersections between print culture and protest. The programme for young people will take place over June and July 2018, with participants taking part in writing, photography and journalism exercises, as well as getting hands-on experience with letterpress and other forms of printing, and learning about the history of paper, publishing, and print in Ireland. The programme is designed to respond to the environment of Clondalkin; participants will be encouraged to think about place, community, and activism. The resulting radical magazine will be published in Autumn 2018.
An afternoon of conversation about the history of the Clondalkin Paper Mill and the legacy of the major strikes there in the 1980s will be held at Clondalkin Library on Saturday 21 April 2018. This event will bring together a number of different perspectives on the mill, as well as mark the beginning of a public art project taking place in Clondalkin this summer.
Speakers at the inaugural afternoon event will include writer Nathan O’Donnell, designer Ciaran Swan (founder of the Irish Left Archive), and activist Des Derwin, who wrote the defining account of the Clondalkin Paper Mills Action Group and the series of major strikes and occupations that took place at the mill in 1982-3. This event will be an informal gathering. Anyone with memories of the mill or the strikes is particularly encouraged to come along and share their stories.
Visit [http://www.incontext4.ie] for more information or email [themill.publicart@gmail.com].
RELATED EVENT
Conversations about the Clondalkin Paper Mill [http://www.incontext4.ie/news/the-mill-conversations-about-the-clondalkin-paper-mill]
Saturday 21 April 2018 | 2pm – 3.30pm
Location: Clondalkin Library, Monastery Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22
Free entry, all welcome.
Places are limited, please click here to book your ticket. [https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/clondalkin-paper-mills-action-group-tickets-44023349022]
For more information, please click here [http://www.incontext4.ie/news/the-mill-conversations-about-the-clondalkin-paper-mill] or email [themill.publicart@gmail.com].
