 The EthosIn 2006 and with over 10 years experience of street based projects Cork Community Art Link set out to establish a stand alone street celebration on Shandons Northside. The decision to celebrate Samhain was straightforward. Out and about on the streets of Cork on the night of the 31st the night is celebrated by both young and the not so young. A tradition celebrated in the home, on the streets, in the countryside and exported worldwide. The ethos behind this event was equally clear:
The Dragon of Shandon would celebrate and build upon existing local traditions and culture rather than imposing an event purely from an artistic standpoint. A strong artistic vision would permeate the layers of collaborative engagement. The structures and processes of the event could be appropriated by communities and groups, a model that could be replicated by others elsewhere. The event would follow a natural growth curve, starting small and deliberately low profile and if it was to be successful its growth would occur naturally. From the beginning we had a tiny operational budget to make it happen and rather be hampered by this obvious fact it should become a strength rather than a weakness and influence a strong ethos of voluntary participation and a spirit of can do rather than can’t. And so in Shandon the Dragon has found a rich and varied landscape making it a natural home for an outdoor evening event. From the narrow lanes, the rich architecture, the presence of the Lee at the foot of the area, the residential community and the large number of community and voluntary organisations that operate in and around the area. Artlink’s role in the story of the Dragon has been simply to enable, to bring people together and ultimately inspire so that for one night people take to the streets in a creative celebration of Samhain - a time between times. 
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How it Began: The ParadeThe Dragon of Shandon began in 2006 as a street parade celebration of Samhain and creative partnership between artists and communities which has taken place on the night of October 31st in the heart of Shandon, Cork. Each year thousands take to the streets of Shandon on Cork ’s Northside to walk with the Dragon as it travels between worlds in a celebration of the living and the dead accompanied by an assortment of creatures from the underworld. The evening parade is the result of an extensive outreach and participatory programme that spans several months of workshops with youth groups, the community and voluntary sector, schools and voluntary participants. A commitment to high standards of practice both in artistic and participatory engagement are at the core of each annual parade with groups collaborating on an annual basis with artists to create original work that is reflective of their experiences. The centrepiece of each parade is the Dragon, 36ft in length and made entirely of tape. This spectacular giant puppet is animated by twelve puppeteers on the night who walk it through the streets of Shandon along with an array of illuminated props, lanterns and characters. 
 Previous collaborators of the DragonThe Dragon of Shandon parade exists since 2006 and has so far involved more than 40 community groups and many local artists among which:
National Learning Network - Cope Foundation Suisha Inclusive Arts- Enable Ireland - Brothers of Charity Blackpool CAP - Shandon Men's Shed -Blackpool Men's Shed - The Traveller Visibility Group - Mahon Youth Club - Foroige Blarney Street - Cathedral Cairde Youth Club - Blarney Street Youth Groups - Blackpool Youth Club - Blackpool Glen Community Youth Center - The Glen CDP - Youth Work Ireland - Gurranabraher Youth Circus - Gurranabraher Churchfield Youth Development Project - Knocknaheeney Youth Music Initiative - Cork Life Centre - Brook Day Centre - Middle Parish Youth Club - North Presentation School - Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers - Saint Kevin's After School Program - Saint Mark's The Glen - Saint Vincent de Paul - Saint Vincent’s School Completion Programme - Terence McSwiney Community College - Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance - Super Stars Stage School - Youthreach Knocknaheeny - Cork Music Works - Meithal Mara - Naomhoga Chorcai - CIT Carnival Samba - UCC Drama and Theatre Studies - Shandon Brass band - CoderDojo - Colaiste Stiofan Naofa Dance School - Saint John's College - Cork Swing Dance Collective - Cork City Firebirds - Cork Circus Factory - Cork Comic Creators, Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers, The Shawlies, High Hopes Choir Cork, Cork Swing Dance, New York Jazz Band, Les Doigts Toniques, Camara Studio, Cobh Animation Team, Ronan O'Dea, Leslie Burton, Caravan Club Extravaganza, Shandon Ukulele Club, Macha Shewolf Belly Dancers, Dare Media Underground, Cork Butter Museum, GMC, Coderdojo, Damien Punch, Abrakedabra, The Firkin Crane, Graham Lynch, Wayne Dunlea, Rory O'Brien, Antóin O'Heocha, Alan Corbett, Art Machina, CCAL Drama Group, Chloe de Buyl-Pisco, Dowtcha Puppets, Dr Robert King, Giordai Ua Laoghaire, Goldifish Events, PassePartout, PJ Kirby, Playground of Dreams, Rumhann Howard-Hildige and so many more... |