Liberty House Project, 2009

In the 1930’s Dublin City Council embarked on a housing project, in the North Inner city, called Liberty House. The building and the surrounding area are steeped in history. The building is a three-story block of flats, typical of inner city apartment blocks of the time. The building is currently suffering structurally in recent years and like most buildings of it's type is due to be demolished. This project has been put on hold due to current funding.

Influenced by the area and this building, I became interested in the lives of the individuals based in Liberty House. The building and it's surrounding streets are considered a 'No Go zone' by members of the public, who may only know of the area. | was interested on a personal level in becoming part of the community and getting to know the residents. In particular I was interested in exploring that process by which as artist could interact with the complex and it's community in a social and cultural way, and this process of interaction.

Wishing to work with a group based at the complex I endeavored to make contact with the local TD, and in turn through a number of contacts I was connected to the Elizabeth, who runs the after school programme based on site. From an initial meeting, my idea to work with a group was greeted with enthusiasm. Over a period of 3 months I began providing workshops, based in the complex, to a group of interested children who formed part of the after school programme with artist Elaine Byrne.

We decided to record the children's aspirations and fears growing up in the complex, and also provide out of curriculum activity opportunities, discussing daily life the project leader, the children and taking in daily life around the site. I was interested in questions around how life would change for these children when the building does eventually get knocked down, or how they interact within the community on site.

The project resulted in a discussion of 'What is the difference between social work and an art project?' which came to light following a dinner we were invited to with volunteers who had worked in the After School programme for up to 6 years. This question I came to realize that many artists working with socially engaged projects are faced with when they feel a project isn't actually finished. Therefore looking back now I may have initiated a process of collaboration but I was still looking for my part as an artist in the project.

Elaine Byrne produced a neon work entitled 'Anything Could've Have Happened?' which came about in response to the experience of working with the children.

As a follow up to this project and the recording of the aspirations, I provided a dvd to the children of the day they painted the community room and photographs taken in the workshops. I also wanted to give something personal back to the children who devoted their play time to the workshops and in response to a quote from one child's response to the day I helped them make stencils "Last week was the best day of my life". I produced a little book with a series of images and a list of personal wishes, providing a copy to each participant in the project.