Artists and property owners interested in participating in the Ennis Access to Spaces Initiative (EASI) are being invited to attend a public information evening in the Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis, on Monday, February 20th at 6.15 PM.
EASI is a new initiative from Ennis Town Council, Clare County Council and the Ennis Chamber of Commerce aimed at revitalising Ennis town centre by facilitating the use of unoccupied spaces in the town for commercial, creative and community use.
EASI builds on similar initiatives established in other parts of the country, whereby landlords allow artists temporary use of vacant buildings whilst they try to attract new commercial clients.
Ennis Chamber of Commerce has already begun identifying landlords who may potentially be interested in becoming involved in EASI.
“Their participation allows them to assist in the revitalisation of the town, by promoting Ennis as a vibrant and positive place to do business and to hopefully attract more clients into the town who will lease their properties”, explained Rita McInerney, CEO, Ennis Chamber of Commerce.
Ms. McInerney added: “The initiative recognises the potential for all interested parties to get involved and believes that by facilitating direct negotiations between landlords and potential short-term creative tenants, the benefit to all parties as well as to the town as a whole will be huge.”
According to Clare Arts Officer Siobhan Mulcahy “EASI recognises, at a fundamental level, that utilising shop window fronts in key areas of the town will not only add life to the visual streetscape of Ennis but is an opportunity to market the town as an attractive place to live, work and visit”.
“A further aspiration of the initiative is to add to the social and cultural life of the town by developing ‘pop-up shops’ for exhibition and commercial use by artists, the community sector and the creative sector. The ambition of providing studio spaces for working artists is another strand to the project”, she added.
Artists and landlords interested in getting involved or finding out more on the initiative are invited to come along to an information session to discuss possibilities and to hear the experiences of other such initiatives. The information evening will take place on Monday, February 20th at 6.15 in the Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis, Co. Clare.
Speakers will include representatives from Limerick City Council to speak about their Creative Limerick initiative, Brian O’Neill, Ennis Chamber of Commerce, Paddy Doherty, commercial auctioneer and Brian Nevin, marketing professional.
For further information contact:
Siobhán Mulcahy, County Arts Officer, Clare County Council - 065 6899091 / arts@clarelibrary.ie
Mairin Hill, Ennis Town Council - 065 6869500 / mhill@ennistowncouncil.ie
Rita McInerney, Ennis Chamber of Commerce - 065 6842988 / rmcinerney@ennischamber.ie
Majella MacNamara, Enterprise Officer, Clare County Council - 065 6846222 / mtmacnamara@clarecoco.ie
EASI is a new initiative from Ennis Town Council, Clare County Council and the Ennis Chamber of Commerce aimed at revitalising Ennis town centre by facilitating the use of unoccupied spaces in the town for commercial, creative and community use.
EASI builds on similar initiatives established in other parts of the country, whereby landlords allow artists temporary use of vacant buildings whilst they try to attract new commercial clients.
Ennis Chamber of Commerce has already begun identifying landlords who may potentially be interested in becoming involved in EASI.
“Their participation allows them to assist in the revitalisation of the town, by promoting Ennis as a vibrant and positive place to do business and to hopefully attract more clients into the town who will lease their properties”, explained Rita McInerney, CEO, Ennis Chamber of Commerce.
Ms. McInerney added: “The initiative recognises the potential for all interested parties to get involved and believes that by facilitating direct negotiations between landlords and potential short-term creative tenants, the benefit to all parties as well as to the town as a whole will be huge.”
According to Clare Arts Officer Siobhan Mulcahy “EASI recognises, at a fundamental level, that utilising shop window fronts in key areas of the town will not only add life to the visual streetscape of Ennis but is an opportunity to market the town as an attractive place to live, work and visit”.
“A further aspiration of the initiative is to add to the social and cultural life of the town by developing ‘pop-up shops’ for exhibition and commercial use by artists, the community sector and the creative sector. The ambition of providing studio spaces for working artists is another strand to the project”, she added.
Artists and landlords interested in getting involved or finding out more on the initiative are invited to come along to an information session to discuss possibilities and to hear the experiences of other such initiatives. The information evening will take place on Monday, February 20th at 6.15 in the Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis, Co. Clare.
Speakers will include representatives from Limerick City Council to speak about their Creative Limerick initiative, Brian O’Neill, Ennis Chamber of Commerce, Paddy Doherty, commercial auctioneer and Brian Nevin, marketing professional.
For further information contact:
Siobhán Mulcahy, County Arts Officer, Clare County Council - 065 6899091 / arts@clarelibrary.ie
Mairin Hill, Ennis Town Council - 065 6869500 / mhill@ennistowncouncil.ie
Rita McInerney, Ennis Chamber of Commerce - 065 6842988 / rmcinerney@ennischamber.ie
Majella MacNamara, Enterprise Officer, Clare County Council - 065 6846222 / mtmacnamara@clarecoco.ie
