Foundation for Arts and Creative Technology (FACT), Liverpool, March-April 2016
At FACT Artist Simon McKeown used a mix of exciting modern technologies to reflect his interest, knowledge and experience of difference to reflect on his 2015 a large scale live event in Cork city centre entitled Cork Ignite. This project was projected onto the facade of the College of Commerce and attracted an audience of 7-10,000 people. The development of the project included workshops with people of different ages and abilities. McKeown anchored his artwork on the outcome of the workshops which used traditional techniques such as shadow puppetry combined with contemporary methods such as projection mapping.
Trace Elements provides an insight into the collaborative process by presenting behind the scenes video and artefacts of the project. The exhibition space also providing the opportunity to engage directly with the methods used to create the work using a magic (internally projection-mapped) shoe box and shadow puppetry screen and props.
To coincide with the exhibition, FACT, local partners along with McKeown and disabled artists from Cork, Ireland explored Liverpool's current work with disabled artists, participants and communities through a showcase and discussion event at FACT on 1st of April 2016.
Trace Elements is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Presented in association with FACT, DaDaFest, National Sculpture Factory, Create and Tesside University.
Cork Ignite was originally produced by the National Sculpture Factory and Create Ireland in association with SoundOUT and Suisha Inclusive Arts at COPE Foundation. Cork Ignite was commissioned by Cork City Council as part of Ignite. Ignite is managed by a unique partnership involving the Arts Council, Arts & Disability Ireland (ADI), Cork City Council, Galway City and County Councils, and Mayo County Council. Ignite represented the largest ever investment in Ireland’s arts and disability sector.