What we do

Bring Your Own Chair

Date
2018/19
Locations
Kilmacthomas, An Rinn, Tallow and Passage East (Waterford); Ballyhack, Taghmon, Bunclody and Courtown (Wexford); Coon, Goresbridge, Slieverue and Kells (Kilkenny)
Funders
Arts Council Ireland Making Great Art Work - Open Call Award, Kilkenny LEADER Partnership, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, Waterford Arts Office/ Waterford Council, Kilkenny County Council / Kilkenny Arts Office, County Wexford Arts Department / Wexford County Council, Create Ireland/ Collaborative Arts Partnership Programme and Creative Ireland.
Artists/Designers
Michelle Browne (lead artist), Paul Bokslag, Molly Anna King, Sarah Lincoln, Deirdre O'Mahony, Rosie O'Reilly, Amber Perng, Kaye Toland, Luis Vega

 

Bring Your Own Chair is a portrait of 12 rural towns in the South-east region led by visual artist Michelle Browne and produced by Workhouse Union.

Bring Your Own Chair takes place in rural towns and villages across counties Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford throughout 2018. As the heart of small towns in Ireland face decline, Bring Your Own Chair looks to share collective experiences using public space for community gatherings and actions.

Participating Towns and Villages
Kilmacthomas, An Rinn, Tallow and Passage East (Waterford)
Ballyhack, Taghmon, Bunclody and Courtown (Wexford)
Coan, Goresbridge, Slieverue and Kells (Kilkenny)

Bring Your Own Chair is funded by the Arts Council Ireland Making Great Art Work – Open Call Award and with further support from Create Ireland/ Collaborative Arts Partnership Programme, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, Waterford Arts Office/ Waterford Council, Kilkenny County Council / Kilkenny Arts Office, County Wexford Arts Department / Wexford County Council and Kilkenny LEADER Partnership. Bring Your Own Chair is supported by the Creative Ireland Programme, an all-of-Government five-year initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which places creativity at the centre of public policy.

 

 

Images

Michelle Browne
Bring Your Own Chair Flyer (PDF)
BYOC Residency Call Out
BYOC Host Call Out
WATCH: BYOC interview with Michelle Browne
Town Ecologies 2021
Town Planners
Meet You at the Green?
Participants board the ferry for the Ballyhack Town Portrait. Photo Ros Kavanagh
A moving debate in Clancy's courtyard at the Tallow Town Portrait. Photo Ros Kavanagh
Participants using Morse Code at Helvic Pier during the An Rinn Town Portrait . Photo Ros Kavanagh
Discovering Passage East through orienteering at the Town Portrait Photo Ros Kavanagh
A space for discussion towards a new community building for Riverchapel. A tweleve side structure built as part of the Courtown/Riverchapel Town Portrait Photo Ros Kavanagh
Lead artist Michelle Browne at the Courtown Town Portrait - creating a ribbon roof. Photo Ros Kavanagh
Taghmon Men's Shed lead the parade for the Town Portrait Photo Ros Kavanagh
All ages, from 0 to 90+, were measured from knee to foot at the Slieverue Town Portrait

Mapping Kilmacthomas as part of Town Visit with lead artist Michelle Browne (Image: Brian Cregan)
Filling out surveys as part of the Bring Your Own Chair Town Visit in Kilmacthomas. (Image: Brian Cregan)
Lead artist Michelle Browne facilitates a spatial workshop as part of the Kilmacthomas Town Visit  (Image: Brian Cregan)
Active spatial workshop during the Courtown Town Visit
Turas Baile, An Rinn, Domhnach 27 Iúil, Cé Helbhic
Artist/Designer Paul Bokslag working on the final Town Motif posters
Town Visit, with forge demonstration by blacksmith Paul Devlin (image: Brian Cregan)
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