Opening Reception Thursday 18 December at 7pm

Unique perspectives on the historic Derry Walls make up Stonework, the first project in The Social – Derry’s newest studio and gallery space, which opens at 7pm on Thursday 18 December. The opening Stonework project in The Social brings together artwork, photography and film on the theme of Derry’s Walls, as a rich but at times contentious icon of the city. It features work by the founding artists of The Social – George Doherty, Philip McFadden, Kirstin McLaughlin, Mhairi Sutherland – working with the strategic support of Declan Sheehan, one of Holywell Trust’s Social Innovators. The project also features selected material from local photographer Eamonn Melaugh, large-scale photographic work from Andy Horsman & Paul McGuckin, and work by local filmmaker Keith O’Grady & Dearcan Media. The way that the Stonework project presents multiple perspectives on Derry’s Walls builds on the foundation of Holywell Trust’s Walls 400 project and the work of The Friends of the Derry Walls.

Declan Sheehan, a Social Innovator at Holywell Trust who developed the artist team behind The Social said, “This is such an exciting new direction for visual arts projects in the city. After a year that has seen some of the city’s visual arts projects facing difficulties and uncertainties, here is a new direction which is aimed at generating sustainable opportunities for artists in the city. As a new social enterprise, The Social will promote links and partnerships between artists and the dynamic social enterprise and social innovation sector, it will provide studio and gallery facilities, and these are precisely the networks and resources needed to support artists as they develop and exhibit their new projects and come together to build the infrastructure needed for sustainable visual arts careers in the city. Without the support of North Western Social Enterprise Hub project and Holywell Trust this project would not have developed and these are new players in the visual arts in the city whose role should prove to be wholly positive for the connection of arts to all the communities in the city.”

The Social itself is a new arts-based social enterprise at 35 Shipquay Street, which is supported by the North Western Social Enterprise Hub which is funded by OFMDFM, and was developed with support from the Holywell Trust Social Innovators project funded by the Building Change Trust.

To keep in contact with The Social, like The Social Studios and Gallery page on Facebook. Stonework opens at The Social, 35 Shipquay Street, at 7pm on Thursday 18^th December. It continues until 31 Jan, open Tuesday – Saturday 12-5pm.