Declan Sheridan

How Can We Make Galway Better? is the open question this project asks us all. The answer can be found in the way we express our thoughts and build on each others’ ideas. The documentation of this process allows our community to keep our cultural identity evolving and inclusive. This interactive installation promotes public participation while altering the perception of graffiti and this derelict building. This project aims to achieve multiple outcomes – allowing full public participation in the cultural direction of our city, providing a chance for community members to connect, while altering the perception of a derelict building by creating a new purpose for it. The public are asked to engage in this large scale project that returns to the simplicity of design sessions that tease out ideas, are constantly evolving and are inherently inclusive. The question How Can We Make Galway a Better Place? is posed on a daily basis, with a large whiteboard canvas for sharing and recording our ideas. Markers will be provided and volunteers present, and people of all ages are encouraged to participate. This project provides a chance to connect people within a city whose paths would otherwise not cross; it breaks down barriers of age and social background, and provides a forum for building on each others’ ideas, making Galway a better place through this inclusive connection. This is a Design Network West project in collaboration with students from Film and Documentary at GMIT and student from GTI, and is backed by Galway 2020