Alexandra Ayvazova
Creative placemaking revitalizes public and private spaces, breathes new life into buildings
and streetscapes, enhances local business success and public safety, and unites diverse
communities to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired. This research focuses on exploring
the potential of storytelling as a tool for creative placemaking in Skibbereen, a small
but signifcant market town in West Cork. Known as the capital of the region, Skibbereen
serves as a hub of local cultural features and traditions. Using the concept of storytelling,
the project aims to give the citizens of Skibbereen an opportunity to share their stories
and experiences of the town in order to recognise, demonstrate, and celebrate its unique identity.
• Conduct academic, primary and visual research in order
to understand the authentic image and cultural features of
Skibbereen.
•Collect stories and experiences from Skibbereen residents
in order to evaluate the importance of storytelling and
preservation of the town's heritage and representation for local
citizens.
•Using the information collected during the research process,
create a children's picturebook and a dance performance that
will serve the aims of the project.
The pre-workshop field trip and research allowed a better understanding of the town and its inhabitants, as well as the area of Co.Cork in general. That allowed a more thorough preparation of workshop materials and development of the workshop plan and activities.
The workshop demonstrated the importance of identity and belonging, and a strong sense of community among the citizens of Skibbereen, with the town playing an important role in the lives of its inhabitants. The stories told as part of the storytelling exercises, as well as in the post-workshop discussion demonstrated the high level of interest between the participants in the town's history, present state and future development. The feedback, reactions and post-exercises discussions proved the importance of sharing and listening to stories. The positive emotional response to the workshop process and artefacts demonstrated the participants' engagement and interest in such activities. It is also important to address the personal nature of all three stories that were presented, that shows the willingness of the participants to share their thoughts and feelings with each other, as well as a deep emotional connection to their hometown.
The environment created for the workshop, as well as a small amount of people participating allowed longer, more productive feedback sessions and discussion, as well as a chance for the participants to share some additional information.
Alexandra is a professional contemporary dancer and an emerging illustrator based in Dublin. She graduated from a St.Petersburg School of Arts in 2006 with a Diploma in Fine Arts, and also works as a Visual Content Creator. Over the last few years Alexandra has been focusing on illustration, using a combination of traditional and digital tools. She received an MA in Design for Change from IADT, with her final project exploring storytelling as a placemaking tool. Working with a community in Skibbereen, West Cork, Alexandra conducted an extensive research and a community workshop. Her project resulted in a report and her first illustrated childrens picture book.
