The Consuming Project

The Consuming Project was a creative community collaboration that explored societies relationship with fashion and culminated in a site-specific theatre presentation and installation of textile work in June 2017. This explorative project began with the support of the Arts Council’s Art Participation bursary granted to theatre maker Ita Morrissey and has grown with collaborations with Open Circle Arts, textile artist Dee Harte, creative producer Eadaoin Walsh (Rig Out Productions), MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre, local artists and community members. An innovative process for both artists and participants, The Consuming Project included professional actors and community members in the making of this work. The set was created out of waste fashion and reimagined while workshops provide opportunities to examine how, why, where and who makes our clothes. The project provided a positive social experience that presented questions and conscious choices around fashion.

The project also included Doll Making workshops which explored the reconstruction of old clothing, which held personal memories for the maker, of the previous wearer – perhaps a loved one who had passed or the garments of childhood. New structures were created that extended the life of the garments, creating memory objects in the form of soft toys that will be treasured for generations to come. Reclaiming material from worn and discarded garments, the very fibres are charged with meaning, they are impregnated with the traces of everyday life, and have the ability to reach personal thoughts and invoke emotional memory.

The consuming project was kindly supported by

• The Arts Council
• McDonagh Junction Shopping Centre
• Rigout Productions
• Barnstorm Theatre
• Kilkenny Co Council
• Kilkenny Environment Office
• Creative Ireland