Our Creative Arts Residency programme for Summer 2022 is in full swing, so we wanted to introduce you to the programme and to the amazing artists that are currently working with us at The Tara Building! Our Creative Arts Residency is a three-month programme open to anyone working on a creative arts project. We offer desk space and community support for creatives to get their projects off the ground, as part of our wider goal to support the arts in Ireland under the difficult circumstances that Dublin rents, covid and increased costs of living have brought.
First up, let us introduce Cóilín Phelan (apologies to Cóilín for our website font being unable to handle words As Gaeilge!). Cóilín is an artist whose interests span multiple fields, specifically music, design, and film. We had a quick catch-up to learn more about his work and how he’s spending his time in the building.
Hey Cóilín, can you tell us a little bit about your practice?
I am a music producer, DJ and graphic designer. The music I produce is primarily hip-hop and r&b, I would consider myself a collaborator as I work a lot with vocalists and rappers to bring my tracks to life. I’ve recently started another alias which will lean more toward a more club-focused sound. My DJ sets can range from old-school hip hop, disco, Detroit house, garage, dubstep and techno.
Why do you do what you do?
I do what I do because I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. Music has been a part of my life since I was about 4 years old, I turned to producing at 15 and I guess you aren’t really “conscious” at that age, but at some point, you wake up as an adult and realise you’ve been making music for 10 years and it just feels normal.
How are you using your time at Tara?
Right now I’m focusing on finishing a full-length project, launching my new dance music alias and working on the visual side of both. I also run club nights in Limerick, Galway & Dublin under the Cabal brand so I’m working on programming our upcoming seasons as well as managing our social media and creating artwork for all the events.
If you could give one piece of cheesy life advice to fellow art-makers, what would it be?
I guess just do whatever you want. When creating just focus on the present moment and not about what people might think or say about it, just make whatever you make and stand over it! There are no rules.
And we couldn’t agree more! Check out more of Cóilín’s work via his Instagram @zissou.xyz.
At The Tara Building, we continuously aim to support those who make Ireland a more inclusive, sustainable, and creative place. Our Creative Arts Residency is part of our wider Impact programme, which offers residencies and opportunities to those working in the fields of art, social impact, and sustainability.
If you’re working on a project that needs support, check out our residency opportunities for more information.
