The People's Republic of Creativity

by Startacus Admin

In the Northern Ireland city of Derry, a bunch of creative self-starters are setting plans in motion to create a new state - a cardboard state, built entirely from cardboard by the people of the city, with its very own cardboard rules.

This is perhaps the most unusual opening statement that we have ever had here at Startacus, but given the remarkable feat that the people of Derry are undertaking, it seems only appropriate.

Dubbed “The People’s Republic of Creativity’ the project invites the people of Derry to join together to create a cardboard utopia bursting with colour and creativity. It has been developed by the people of Cardboardia, an International project bringing together all manner of artistic disciplines intended to nurture a creative community (check the Gallery at the bottom of the article for a sense of what they are all about). They are working in partnership with Derry based performance company ‘In Your Space’; a group of freelance artists, circus performers, and makers with a wide range of skills who specialise in visual arts, music, circus skills, street theatre, costume making, and large scale carnival constructions.

Derry will become the latest in a wide range of cities across the planet to declare a People's Republic of Creativity, but the details of what to expect from the group's Northern Ireland debut are being kept pretty ambiguous at this point. Cardboardia has released some information on what people might expect from the event, but as you will see this is all very purposefully (and intriguingly) ambiguous;

• Cardboard Tube Fights and/or bAstrAlasker tournament and/or Rhino Battles.

• Cardboard Dependence day with masks workshop and Tyran’s not alternative election’s with Cardboardia country presentation

• Auction of local handmade items

• Cardboardia Bank and currency – “Bad Taste”

• Cardboard Racing of either cars or sheep

The festivities will culminate in a spectacular display of cardboard creativity through the medieval streets of Derry.

The city of Derry is no stranger to creative innovation having served as the UK’s inaugural ‘City of Culture’ in 2013 and playing host to a wide range of internationally recognised arts and music festivals. Most recently the city was thrust into the international spotlight with the creation and subsequent burning of an enormous, elaborate, wooden temple by world renowned Burning Man festival artist David Best.

The festivities will take place on the 23rd and 24th of May 2015 at the Verbal Arts centre as part of Voluntary Arts Week 16 - 24 May, and have been supported by the Arts Council and Lottery Fund.

Here are the details of how you can get involved.

Startacus are hearty advocates of all things creative and believe that events such as this are vital to nurture entrepreneurial spirit within communities.  You can find out more about the links between creativity and entrepreneurship in this recent article on the subject.

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Published on: 23rd April 2015