Ceramic Village was a joint collaboration between the residents of Silverwood, Clonakilty Community Hospital, with Arts for Health visual artist Emma Scully.
Conversations around what makese a town feel like a home led to the development of the project. Residents chatted about what they love most about their own home towns, and what they would like to include in their ceramic village. Inspired by trinket shelves, collectables and miniatures, the project aim was to introduce participants to working with clay and ceramics.
Over a number of months between 2025 and 2026, the residents built miniature ceramic houses from scratch. Each piece began as a singular ball of clay. Participants moulded, cut, designed, and glazed each piece to create their village. Starting with only houses, the village grew to include shops, churches, monuments, and trees.
Clonakilty Arts and Minds Festival inlcluded Ceramic Village as part of an exhibition of local art in March 2026. Now you can see the work at Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre’s Bealtaine Exhibition. Call in Monday to Saturday, 10am – 4.45pm, until the end of May!
Bealtaine Festival
Bealtaine at Uillinn reflects the relationships we have built with artists, older people and our health and education partners across West Cork. The work shared is the result of time, trust and creative conversation. At Uillinn, we believe creativity should be accessible to everyone. Bealtaine is a powerful reminder of what happens when people are given the space, support and encouragement to make art.
Images by Emma Scully.