Famous for its musical heritage, Westmeath is the birthplace of world-famous artists from Joe Dolan to Niall Horan. The county’s towns and countryside have been sites of inspiration for writers, including John Broderick, Oliver Goldsmith, JP Donleavy, Jonathan Swift and James Joyce.
With over 400 projects funded by Creative Ireland since 2018, Westmeath’s strong cultural and creative traditions are represented in the county’s Culture & Creativity Strategy 2023-2027. The strategy confirms the Westmeath Culture & Creativity teams’ commitment to supporting sustainable creative community across the county through its strategic priorities;
Economic Development and Creative Industries: support cultural and creative activities that drive economic returns locally.
Diversity and Access: Facilitate the capacity of culture and creativity to innovate and collaborate with our diverse communities.
Creative Youth: Empower young people through cultural and creative processes and strategies to realise their potential and enhance individual potential.
Climate Action and Sustainability: Harness the power of culture and creativity to animate meaningful engagement on the profound environmental changes we are witnessing.
Westmeath Culture and Creativity Team: Support capacity building of the Culture and Creativity Teams to lead on the development of collaborative strategies of scale.
From the growing of Westmeath’s profile as a filmmaking location to promoting the county’s cultural facilities like Athlone Castle and Luan Gallery, as well as strengthening the cultural infrastructure of venues and arts spaces such as Belvedere House and Gardens, Mullingar and Tuar Ard Arts Centre, Dean Crowe Theatre and Dún Na Sí Amenity & Heritage Park; the county is putting its creativity and cultural heritage centre-stage.
Recognising the strong thread of creativity that connects our communities, Westmeath’s Culture and Creativity Strategy aims to provide a framework of support for creative ventures throughout the county. Westmeath’s Culture and Creativity strategy endeavours to support sustainable communities by empowering active participation in imaginative and engaging programming. Westmeath’s strategic priorities are underpinned by two key principals: sustainable development and social inclusion. The Culture & Creativity priorities aim to reflect the interests of Westmeath’s socially and culturally diverse communities.
