Exciting new community engagement project announced for festival in Tipperary
Clonmel Junction Arts Festival
Clonmel Junction Arts Festival is offering Clonmel schools and community groups the opportunity to book free workshops for an exciting arts project in the build-up to the 2026 festival.
Thanks to Creative Ireland funding, the festival is bringing The Mask Project to this year's festival, a community engagement project with artist Tom Campbell following on from the success of his 100 Dogs Project at last year’s festival.
Tom Campbell is a Cork-based multidisciplinary visual artist, working in many media but has a love for papier-mâché, a fast and environmentally sustainable way of making sculpture. He has been facilitating workshops for over 20 years. Tom has a particular interest in mask-making and has led numerous mask projects and performances.
Artist Tom Campbell says:"I am pleased to be coming back to Clonmel Junction Arts Festival. I really enjoy working with groups of people and enjoy the impact that a sustained project like this can have. Masks are great as they allow shy performers the ability to hide behind a mask. I look forward to working again in Clonmel."
Rebecca Lenehan, Artistic Director of Clonmel Junction Arts Festival, says: “The Mask Project builds on last year's 100 Dogs Project, aiming to engage as many community groups and local schools as possible, as well as the general public, to create large-scale masks. But this year we're also adding the element of performance with Tom offering workshops to create the masks and also perform with them. This is a really dynamic project, and Tom is such a fantastic artist, we can’t wait to get started and welcome local community groups and schools to The Platform in the Showgrounds Shopping Centre."
The project will offer valuable work experience opportunities for students at Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).
Clonmel Digital Campus student Ben Lihou, says: "As a student with an aspiration to create art professionally, I find Tom Campbell's sculptures really technically impressive, evoking such playfulness and charm. I'm really looking forward to collaborating with him at the Clonmel Junction Arts Festival where I'll get the chance to learn art technique and networking from a fine-art professional."
Community groups and local schools can email [email protected] to book one or more workshops with Tom. The workshops are suitable for over 10-year-olds and will run from Friday 5th June until Saturday 27th June at The Platform, Unit 12A (opposite Regatta) in Showgrounds Shopping Centre, Clonmel. There will also be opportunities for the public to take part in the workshops on Saturdays from 6th June until 27th June at drop-in workshops (full details will be available on social media).
Once completed, the masks will form an exhibition in the Showgrounds Shopping Centre during this year’s festival, which runs from 3rd to 12th July. Participants can also take part in performance workshops with Tom from 7th to 10th July, culminating in a vibrant street performance in Clonmel on Saturday 11th July.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to explore your imagination, making large-scale masks and to bring that creativity onto the streets of Clonmel through street performances led by Tom who has brought his work around the world,” said Rebecca Lenehan.