The Trustee’s Annual Report Year Ended 31 March 2023
Centre for Contemporary Art Derry~Londonderry:
To encourage appreciation of the arts and stimulate the artistic creativity of people in the area of benefit by the provision of art exhibitions, performances, installations, training, support and facilities for artistic expression.
To present, promote, organise, manage and exhibit shows of artistic, cultural and educational value, including paintings, drawings, performances, sculptures, films, broadcasts, entertainments and exhibitions.
Supported the careers of emerging artists from Northern Ireland through various means including our exhibition programme, our public programme and through participation in the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s ACES scheme, speed curating with VAI, letters of support and our CCA Supports programme of CPD events. Also via publishing and our Guest Publications scheme showcasing artist books in our online shop.
The main achievements of the charity during the year were as follows:
Exhibitions in CCA galleries:
(a) Ballads of Rhinestones & Newcomers – group show – Bojana Jakovic, Tom O’Dea, Frank Sweeney
(b) Fugitive Seeds – group show by guest curator – Larry Achiampong and David Blandy, Maria Thereza Alves, Alasdair Asmussen Doyle, Minji Choi, Davinia-Ann Robinson; curated by Borbala Soos
(c) URGENCIES (2023) – group show selected by Catherine Hemelryk & Joy Gerrard – Chloe Austin, Husk Bennett, Daniel Coleman, Darah Diver Lang, DreamBean, Miach Malachy, Julie Lovett, Richard Magee, Silvia Mandic, Yasmine Robinson
(d) SEAMS – solo show – Laura Wilson
CCA’s Library/Workshop continued in its form as a Project Space visible from Artillery Street:
(e) The Melting/ed Spring – Tara McGinn
(f) Fool’s Spring – Oisín Roberts
(g) Sue Morris & Greg McLaughlin
(h) CCA Graduate Award – David Younglove
(i) CCA Graduate Award – Charys Wilson
(j) Niall McLaughlin
(k) Department of Dreamtime – Christopher Steenson
(l) Red Berries – Ginte Regina
The second season of week-long Digital Residencies took place on CCA’s website: CCADLD.org
(m) Seven Days – Sarah Duffy
(n) Black Gold and Green (Mobilise the Poets) – Anne McCloy and Femi Dawkins
Public Programmes continued working online and remotely:
(o) Lifelong Learning Festival 2022 – family activity pack co-created with pupils from The Fountain Primary – Sarah McNabb, Elly Makem
(p) Fool’s Spring Workshop – NI Mental Health Arts Festival – Jack McGarrigle
(q) Drawing with Scissors – National Drawing Day – Hannah Casey-Brogan
(r) Stick Nitch – WAIWAV Festival - Bel Pye
(s) On Wanting – Helena Hamilton
(t) Culture Night – Bojana Jankovic, Derry Print Workshop
(u) Bounce Festival 2022 – Paul Moore, Hugh O’Donnell, Shiro Masuyama
(v) MONSTER MAKING! – Derry Halloween – Grace Fairley
(w) Why Not Call This a Life! – Writing Workshop – Lucie McLaughlin
(x) Still Life Painting in Oil – Age Concern NI Workshop – Niall McLaughlin
(y) Seed Saving Day – Seed It Union
(z) Pre Launch Performance – URGENCIES (2023) – Husk Bennett
(aa) Energy Quilt – URGENCIES (2023) workshop – Sarah Diver Lang
(bb) 2 Channel Land – screening – Frank Sweeney
(cc) Sensing the City – NI Science Festival 2023 – Jane Butler
(dd) The Virtual Lectures by Frank Wasser – The Art School: Digressions on Affection and Anger – Frank Wasser
(ee) SEAMS – weaving demonstration – Laura Wilson & Alex Wilson
(ff) Crios Belts – Deborah White
From January 2023 CCA was awarded funding through Jerwood Developing Artists Fund to expand the Supports Programme for 2023–2024 (calendar years). The project began in January 2023 including:
(gg) Crit Group – peer critique via zoom facilitated by Public Programmes Curator
(hh) Laura McCafferty with sessions every two months (ii) Surgeries – one-to-one surgeries via zoom with Director Catherine Hemelryk with sessions every two months
(jj) Application Feedback sessions
(kk) Testing Ground in CCA’s Project Space
(ll) short mentoring programmes
(mm) evaluation with a freelance evaluator
(nn) research with a freelance researcher
CCA was one of 7 host organisations for the 18-month long Jerwood Curatorial Accelerator programme supporting emerging curators from low socio-economic backgrounds across the UK.
CCA partnered with UK New Artists to host a UKNA Weekender at CCA with artists Alice Harry, Cal Freeman, Dudley, Kinnari Saraiya, Kristina Nenova and Suds McKenna.
Schools programme became packs distributed via school pickups with videos on
YouTube. (oo) Reciprocal Residency – Sarah McNabb
(pp) Design Your Own Radio Station – Tom O’Dea, Frank Sweeney
(qq) Fugitive Seeds – Jasmin Marker
(rr) URGENCIES (2023) – Sarah McNabb
(ss) SEEMS – Jack McGarrigle
Podcasts distributed artist conversations and artworks:
(tt) Round Table with DeMo Reciprocal Residency artists and guest, Mark Buckeridge, Hrefna Horn Leifsdottir, Ona Juciute
(uu) Round Table with Ballads artistand guests, Bojana Jankovic, Justin Kuoame, Vukasin Nedeljkovic
(vv) Round Table with Ballads artists and guest, Tom O’Dea, Frank Sweeney, John Walsh
(ww) Audio artwork – Fool’s Spring – Oisín Roberts
Digital Takeovers became CCA Introducing, a series of 24 hour social media takeovers by artists @CCADLD on twitter and Instagram. We invited people with a connection to CCA to nominate early-career artists to feature in the programme. Artists: Salma Abedin Prithi, Corinne Mazzoli, Amy Higgins, Jess Atieno, Blaine O’Donnell, Leah Hickey, Nessa Finnegan.
Window Texts, a series of ten risograph editions produced by Derry Print Workshop inviting ten art writers to create a page of A4 then designed by an artist/designer/illustrator.
Artists: Dorothy Hunter & Stephanie Gaumond, Rachel Pimm & Rob Hilken, Simon Farid & Fiona McDonnell, Jessa Mockridge & Joe Barwise, Shiva R Joyce & Emma Heatherington, Oisín Roberts & Niamh Roberts.
Other key achievements:
Continuing to receive funding from ACNI through Annual Funding Programme. Securing Funding from Art Fund for 2022–24 to support our Digital and Remote Programmes, continuing our Marketing & Digital Programmes Coordinator expanded role. Securing Funding from Jerwood Arts to expand our Supports programme.
Working with artists to secure project funding including: Frank Sweeney Next Generation, AEMI funding, a-n bursary for Laura Wilson, NOMAS Foundation funding for South of Imagination.
CCA was part of the European Capital of Culture 2022 programme with our Reciprocal Residency project with Kaunas Artists’ House and CCA Director was a panellist at the Critical Induction Symposium in Kaunas.