Building in Creativity - Strategic Priority 3

Building in Creativity

Waterford’s built infrastructure is reflective of the creativity in the city and county. Built heritage is valued, and this is seen in our respect for our important city walls, in vernacular skills such as thatching and in how we maintain buildings and spaces and ensure conservation and protected buildings. Waterford City and County has invested heavily in our museums and in the Viking Triangle, acknowledging how important our past is to our future. Waterford City and County Council’s award-winning Architecture Department is ambitious in reimaging spaces such as the village of Cappoquin and Mount Congreve House.

Waterford’s current provision of space for cultural activity is strong - Waterford has twelve libraries and two main art galleries, two theatres and supports numerous creative spaces, both indoors and outdoors. In 2021 the Urban Regeneration Development Fund granted funding to develop several vacant buildings and public realm to support Waterford City and County Council’s vision to develop Waterford Cultural Quarter - an urban regeneration project viewed through the lens of culture. Examples of this will include the WCQ Art House, a multidisciplinary space with facilities for public exhibition, as well as artists in residence and co-working space, and the Community and Cultural Hub which will support people from new communities to integrate their cultures with those of the native population.

_{Visitors enjoying the Waterford Epic Tour outside two Waterford City museums, the Irish Silver Museum and award-winning Medieval Museum.  Photograph Waterford City & County Council.}

It is a priority for Creative Waterford to support our built heritage and to provide space for cultural and creative expression in partnership with our communities. This is evident in the development of the Viking Triangle which is a best practice example of excellence in public realm, sympathetic renovation of the cityscape and development of 5 top quality museums telling the story of Waterford’s past.

Building in creativity also refers to the need to include and support creativity in society, in our places and in our linkages with education, health and community. An area that provides us with opportunities is digitalisation of culture and access to this. Smart technology is developing rapidly, it democratises how we consume culture in many ways, but also provides barriers. It can support creative expression, however it may also stifle locally based creativity in favour of more globalised offerings. Creative Waterford endeavours to support local community to perform, to make, to create and to have pride in how they wish to demonstrate their culture and creativity and to use new technologies in proactive, inclusive and accessible ways. We support innovation and providing access to new audiences, particularly the hard-to-reach audiences who may not feel comfortable in more traditional settings via new technologies.

The importance of creative approaches in society, of being imaginative and innovative, must be built into our communications and our storytelling. Creative Waterford strives to use visual and eye-catching imagery in our social media, newsletters and other communications in order to inspire others to consider the value of design, colour and imagination.

We will endeavour to build strong acknowledgement of the value of creativity into Waterford’s strategies, policies and plans. Influencing the thinking around approaches to working collaboratively, being innovative and harnessing lateral thinking will be an important aim of this strategy.