A PECULIAR looking item which has arrived at the People’s Park has sparked significant public interest.
Poetry Jukebox, by arts production company Quotidian - Word on the Street Ltd, is an international project which sees the temporary installation of a steel structure shaped gramophone in a public space.
A button on the gramophone, when pressed, allows members of the public to hear a poet reading their own poem aloud through a speaker. It is a free amenity which the Limerick public will be able to use until July.
The Poetry Jukebox was first installed in Ireland, at the Belfast International Festival, in 2017.
The latest installation - at the People’s Park - was unveiled by Mayor Francis Foley last week.
“I commend UCD Library for this imaginative and inclusive approach to engaging the public in the Decade of Centenaries. I encourage the citizens of Limerick to come and listen to the variety of voices represented in this commemorative installation,” he said.
Dr Pippa Little, Arts Officer with Limerick City and County Council, has welcomed the arrival of the installation to the People's Park.
“The Poetry Jukebox is a wonderful example of how art can help us to connect with our past and to imagine a brighter future.
Through the power of poetry, we can explore the complex emotions and experiences of those who came before us, and gain a deeper appreciation of the struggles and triumphs that have made Ireland the vibrant and diverse nation it is today.”
Through the use of QR code technology, there are 20 different poems, from 20 poets, for users to choose from, with poets reciting their own work.
The project is in association with Poetry as Commemoration (PaC), a University College Dublin library initiative, as well as Poetry Ireland, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.
The aim of the Poetry Jukebox is to bring literature to cities for the people who live there to enjoy in their everyday lives.
Since it was unveiled, people of all ages have been engaging with the Poetry Jukebox, bringing poetry to the People’s Park and their daily lives.
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