Good Hatchery is an experimental project that sets out to challenge the accepted norms for the production and presentation of contemporary art in Ireland today. We are committed to the support of artists in the production of high quality progressive art works. We promote an ethos of DIY and sustainability that takes advantage the spread of information and online learning opportunities enabled by our global age.
The Good Hatchery is based in the rural bog lands of east Offaly in the Irish Midlands. Currently run by visual artists Carl Giffney and Ruth E Lyons, Good Hatchery operates a curatorial programme of residencies, on site projects and exhibitions. Good Hatchery offers residential studios and workshop spaces to artists for the realisation of ambitious artworks free of charge. Good Hatchery is also a collaborative practice conducted by the two artists.
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“The location in which the Good Hatchery is based is a fascinating one which for various histrorical reasons, has been overlooked by investment and tourism. The surrounding landscape is characterised by vast expanses of flat industrial bogland. Within the county of Offaly as a whole there is not one dedicated gallery space. All these issues combine to make it a raw and challenging context for the production and presentation of contemporary art. Throughout our curated projects we encourage artists to confront the challenges and new opportunities inherent in this context. We feel that the practice of contemporary art in Ireland can be enriched by artists challenging themselves to work outside their comfort zones and in doing so that new audiences can be reached.
We are interested in the affect that global networking has had on rural space. We encourage artists to go against the trend of centralisation and avail of the space and the aesthetic and contextual opportunities available in rural areas which in light of the spread of Broadband internet no longer bear the stigma of isolation.”
-Ruth E Lyons, 2010
HISTORY
The Good Hatchery was originally founded in 2007 by a group of 5 graduates from Irelands National College of Art and Design (NCAD) as a response to the economic and other obstacles facing emerging artists during the boom years of the Celtic tiger.
The building that houses the Good Hatchery was found in 2006 via Free-Cycle, an online recycling network, when Carl Giffney made contact with Eileen Hanlon through an advert that read ‘Wanted: derelict house or ruin for artists to live in and renovate’. Eileen generously offered a nineteenth century hayloft for this purpose that, the year before, had received a new roof, floor and windows. The building was weather proof and split into two floors but was in need of further development.
In July 2007 On graduation five artists Ruth E Lyons, Carl Giffney, Chris Timms, Elaine Reynolds and Rory Grubb, began the process of renovating the space into a residential studio. All materials for the work were obtained for free through recycling and salvaging systems. By November the space was habitable and could accommodate art and music making.
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“It has been said that under two percent of fine art graduates proceed to make an art related career for themselves in Ireland. Even less become practicing artists. Although the reasons for this statistic are quite complicated, we believe that many of its central causes are financial in origin. It becomes virtually impossible to keep up a contemporary art practice immediately after college in Dublin without either compromising ones ideals or ones health. What seems to have become overlooked to some degree, is that the bulk of these financial pressures exist mainly in Dublin.
We believe that it has become a myth that an emerging artist needs to stay in a city to become an established artist. The majority of the connection that our contemporaries maintain with the art world and its opportunities is conducted via the internet. Mobile broadband internet has, only in the last year, become widespread and affordable enough to keep this connection intact in rural areas. It is in these rural areas that artists can find large buildings free of rent and enjoy a cheaper cost of living. We intend the Good Hatchery to be an experiment in solving some of the problems associated with emerging as a young contemporary artist while simultaneously attempting to spread provocative art tactics and their outcomes out of the capital where it seems to maintain a stronghold. We believe that rural contexts can offer diverse and unique social contexts that, due to the geographical make up of Ireland, for example, effect the majority of people living on the Island. This context can easily be overlooked by contemporary art practice. We would hope to highlight some of the rich resources and opportunities that are actually available to the emerging artist in rural Ireland by exhibiting and working with local and national bodies.”
-Carl Giffney, 2007
The Good Hatchery has been kindly funded by the Irish Arts Council and Offaly County Council.
I agree that financial concerns play a huge part in this extrordinary statistic that you speak of. I am interested in the notion of compromising ones ideals or ones health. I presume that you mean that a developing artist may need to change their practice to more comercial one or else face starvation and the like if they remain living in Dublin. Ill be very interested in the progress of your experiment. It sounds like you may become lost to ‘the good life’.
Many graduates on leaving college find themselves unsure of how to remain focussed on their practice when faced with financial demands of day to day life, this may also be somewhat exasperated by some colleges not equipping students with enough practical and professional practice know how. As many students return home for a stint after gradutating I would like to encourage them to contact their local authority arts office to see what opportunities are available locally such as grants, studios or opportunities to work in context. Many Arts Officers are also gradutates of an art form and are keen to support emerging artists from their area. As the Arts Officer for Offaly (and a fine art graduate)I look forward to working with the Good Hatchery and supporting in whatever way feasible their aspirations.
I came across your website after reading a wonderful piece you wrote on your time at the residency in Multifarnum- I think we may have met breifly when you arrived as I was visiting paul. The Good Hatchery sounds wonderful. I am currently about to interview Clmentine Deliss who set up a program through the edinburgh college of art asking some similar questions about the need for non-institution art centered spaces for artists to work in together and ideas of mobilty. Your space and the work you have done is inspiring
Best of Luck!
Hello. Great job. I did not expect this on a Wednesday. This is a great story. Thanks!
good to hear what is going on at the Good Hatchery, i think that the concept of success can have a very broad meaning and the main thing is to not confine ourselves by other peoples definitions of what art is or can be. Sounds like you have lots of options there. Pauline