Kildare County Council Arts Service
Arts Service Menu
Arts in Libraries
Update on Leixlip Library
Kildare County Council is currently building a new community library and arts centre for Leixlip on Captain’s Hill. The new building will be 9,000 sq. feet and will provide the following:
- A broad ranging up to date stock in a variety of formats and an efficient request service.
- An electronic self-learning centre with access to the world wide web of information on the internet and software which will facilitate research and self education on a wide variety of themes.
- A multi-purpose community space for all, including local group meetings.
A varied programme of educational and cultural events for adults, teenagers and children. - A focused arts programme including performances, exhibitions, workshops and lectures for all age groups.
- A focused music programme which will form an essential part of the county’s Music Outreach Programme. This will include sound-proofed music rooms with a variety of instruments and tuition.
- A well- trained and helpful staff.
In preparation for the new library in Leixlip, some re-organisation of the existing service in Newtown House will be necessary. The staff will continue to provide a library service at Newtown House and from Tuesday March 18th 2003 will operate the following times:
Monday-Friday, 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm.
The library staff will also begin work on a survey of people’s needs in the town. The aim of this survey is to inform the delivery of all aspects of the library and arts service in the new building. This survey will be conducted during the months of March and April on a door to door basis. The Library Service look forward to meeting the people of Leixlip and hearing their views.
Kildare Library and Arts Plan 2003
The Library and Arts Service is currently writing a five-year development plan. The Plan will cover all elements of the library service, including the arts service, heritage, genealogy and local history.
Artist in Residence Programme in Rathangan Library
Preparations to open the new Library and Arts space in Rathangan are well advanced.
To celebrate this new development, Colleen Lambe, an artist from Kilcullen, has been awarded a thirteen-week artist in residence programme from Kildare County Council. Colleen is a recent graduate from Dublin Institute of Technology where sculpture was her main area of study. However, her interest in drawing and painting ensures that they remain important elements in her working methods.
Colleen will use the library facilities to create a body of environment based installation work, while at the same time interacting with the local community with an artist in schools programme.
Artist's Statement:
The approach to my work is to take a holistic approach when creating. My sculpture will always be “of the place” where it is located. It is important not to interfere with or to interrupt the landscape, but to manipulate the existing materials into a form, which incorporates the creative idea. Thus with the Rathangan project it is important to use the wonderful natural materials available (bog-clay) to construct the form that represents an issue very relevant to this rural town: the assimilation of County Kildare’ s small towns into the urban sprawl of Dublin City.