Clonmel Junction Arts Festival, kicking off on 4^th July, is putting a call out for local artists and makers to join artists Derek Harvey and Heather McAuliffe to create large Vietnamese-style lanterns to decorate Clonmel’s Kickham Plaza.

Artistic Director, Rebecca Lenehan, says:

“The theme for this year’s festival is ‘Encounters’ and we have a fantastic programme lined up for 2025 - there really is something for everyone in our busy 10-day festival.  

“A priority for us is to create a sense of festival in Clonmel so we’re inviting all enthusiastic crafters to come along and collaborate with Derek and Heather to create these vibrant, dramatic lanterns to decorate Kickham Plaza during the festival.

“Clonmel Junction Arts Festival 2025 will shine a light on the wealth of beautiful historic venues and cultural spaces in Clonmel – and we’d love you to take part and help us achieve this.”

Beginning on 17^th May in the Showgrounds Shopping Centre, Derek and Heather will work with participants to create colourful lanterns repurposed from lampshades and fabric.

Heather McAuliffe, artist, says: “For as long as I can remember I've been a racoon artist... by that I mean, keeping every scrap of cardboard, cool ribbon and shiny thing that could work perfectly for a project one day. As a model maker, figuring out how to use all my treasured junk to create something new is very exciting to me.

“I love that Clonmel is growing and thriving as a creative town. If you resonate with my magpie tendencies and have a box overflowing with scraps that you have no idea what to do with, this project could be the perfect opportunity to put them to use in a way that will be reused for years to come."

Derek Harvey, artist, says: “In my work as a costume designer I rely heavily on upcycling and repurposing second-hand clothing and fabrics. There's something magical about taking something that may have ended up in a landfill and breathing new life into it - you often end up with completely unique costumes that couldn't have existed if not for approaching the design from a sustainable point of view.  

“I've transformed curtains into gowns, gowns into leotards, waistcoats into crop tops, faux flowers into fairy wings amongst many other things, so when Rebecca asked me to help facilitate these creative meetups with Heather, I was immediately onboard. I'm really looking forward to meeting other local creatives and making Art together. There is no limit to imagination - let's get creative!"

If you have any unwanted lampshades, pvc pipe, coloured or patterned fabric you no longer want we’d love to repurpose them. Please drop them to Unit 12a at The Showgrounds Shopping Centre 10am-5pm on Thursdays or Fridays or contact info@junctionfestival.com for more information.

To be part of this collaborative making project, please complete this application form: https://forms.gle/oMAaYnnNMChcKhV57 by 15th May.