The Waterways Storymaking Festival
21st February, 2022
”Over the past four years, the Waterways Storymaking Festival has offered a fantastic opportunity for people all over Northern Ireland to reflect and connect in a deeper way to the unique beauty of our waterways. It has been contributing to the development of the arts in the community by encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in telling their story of our waterways, through poetry, short stories and photography. We have reached out to thousands of people who love our waterways, collecting their memories and experiences.
After nearly two years in freefall for the community and arts sectors due to the pandemic, launching the 2022 Waterways Storymaking Festival just before Christmas last year was certainly not a task for the fainthearted! Luckily we had the backing of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland/Department for Communities Emergency Funds to go online with the 2021 Festival, and like everyone else had a very rapid and steep learning curve in adjusting to the digital world. For all the challenges, that was a tremendous advantage to us this year when it became clear that the beginning of the 2022 Festival was going to coincide with a new wave of Covid. The support helped us to develop new digital communication skills and channels as the basis for a blended digital and live international festival in 2022.
The festival runs over about six months of the year, giving us time for a programme of workshops delivered online and in community groups by local writers and artists to encourage people who might never have thought of themselves as creative to have the confidence to join in. Hundreds of people have joined these workshops and found creative inspiration and support from our talented facilitators finding it “a real eye-opening learning experience”. The last open online session is on the 23rd February.
We put out an open call for entries in three main categories this year, poetry, short story and photography. That call is open until 4th March, so just about time for some latecomers to get involved. Entries go through the website www.thewaterwayscommunity.org
There are lots of videos and posts of previous years entries on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/waterwaysstorymakingfestival for anyone who just wants to relax and let words, music and images wash over them.
The festival programme this year is all leading up to a showcase event in June where shortlisted entries will be performed and broadcast as a live event. This celebration of the writing and images we have received is a bigger stage for local talent and shares thoughts and stories that might not otherwise be heard.
Anyone interested in getting involved with the festival is welcome to contact me. We will soon be thinking ahead for next year and how to make 2023 even more creative.
[email protected] "
Maire Gaffney – Waterways Storymaking Festival Director
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/waterwaysstorymakingfestival
Twitter https://twitter.com/waterwaysstory
The 2022 Waterways Storytelling Festival is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.