SUPPOSE A STONE
Suppose a Stone is collaboration between Aughrim Tidy Towns CLG, Aughrim Active Retirement Group, Kunstverein Aughrim and architect Jenny O’Leary, of Howff Architects. Together we are undertaking an all-ages, interspecies accessibility audit of the town of Aughrim, supported by the Irish Architecture Foundation’s Reimagine Hometown Architect initiative.
To date we have launched a survey and activity map, conducted a Walkability Study with Age Friendly Ireland, and realised a Sensory Walk with choreographer Aoife McAtamney. In August 2023 Reimagine hosted a clinic where an update of our project was presented, alongside the Lisdoonvarna project team with Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects, Common Knowledge, and ACT Studio. A recording of that clinic may be viewed here.
Upcoming plans include the collation of all data and ideas generated thus far, and the development of a participatory workshop involving the prototyping of a temporary drawbridge, designed to test potential improvements to current shopfront accessibility barriers.
The Sensory Walk (July 2023) was a walking workshop/experiment in how we experience Aughrim through our various senses. We were interested in thinking broadly about accessibility, to consider the experiences of people of different ages and sensory abilities, asking: What kind of sensory story does Aughrim tell us?
This two-hour sensory walk was designed to connect participants with our ‘Granite City’ through the sounds, smells, tastes and sensations of Aughrim. The workshop was facilitated by architect Jenny O’Leary of Howff, choreographer Aoife McAtamney, artist Jackson Byrne, and curator Kate Strain.
This project was supported by Hometown Architect as part of the Irish Architecture Foundation’s nationwide Reimagine placemaking programme and by CoisCéim Broadreach.
Suppose a Stone was launched as part of Aughrim’s St Patrick’s Day Parade, throughout the drizzly morning and early afternoon of Friday 17 March 2023.
Visitors to Kunstverein Aughrim were invited to complete a worksheet, aimed at discovering and uncovering some of the successes and challenges of Aughrim’s built environment. Based on these findings a series of participatory workshops aimed at approaching specific issues or themes is being devised, in the hope of identifying issues, then developing and testing potential solutions. Suppose a Stone prioritises accessibility through creativity and inclusivity, with a long-term vision of radical hospitality for all.
Kunstverein Aughrim is thrilled to partner with Aughrim Tidy Towns CLG, a community organiation that has a strong tradition of involvement in the National Tidy Towns Competition and a long history of disability-friendly design. Aughrim Active Retirement Group organises age-friendly meetings and activities for people in the community. Jenny O’Leary MRIAI is an architect whose work pursues design-led, nature-based solutions that strive for a deep connection between people and place.
*The title of this project was suggested by one of our committee members, upon seeing Brian Dillon’s beautiful publication ‘Suppose A Sentence’ on our research desk, the book itself is titled after a 1934 text by Gertrude Stein.
Suppose a Stone is supported by Hometown Architect, as part of the Irish Architecture Foundation’s nationwide Reimagine placemaking programme. For more information please email office@kunstverein.ie
