Projects in Cork
Below, you can find an overview of the different initiatives that are currently run by our team in Cork n collaboration with local groups: the “#DouglassWeek Creative Commemorations” event series in 2021, the individual projects for #DouglassWeek, the “Frederick Douglass Street” project and other, related projects about Frederick Douglass’s visit to Cork. Click on the individual section for more information and details about the project.
Cork City and County Cork #DouglassWeek Events
CREATIVE COMMEMORATIONS: “Visualizing Frederick Douglass’s footprint in Ireland, Past & Present”
During the week, a variety of performative events, creative installations and critical discussion will take place in Cork City and County Cork , offering a collection of responses to address the footprint of Douglass in Ireland.
Music and Dance Performance
Music and dance event inspired by Douglass’s journey around Ireland, featuring UCC students and staff in collaboration with local community groups. This event may include a hip-hop/dance performance responding to the themes of #DouglassWeek, as well as performances of songs and poems written in 1845/6 to celebrate Douglass’s presence in Ireland. The event will take place in Cork (location TBD) and be filmed with the goal of an online premiere during #DouglassWeek.
Collaborative Artwork Creation
Collaborative creation of complementary public artworks in Ireland and the US, based on Douglass’s journey. Artists will, in collaboration with local institutions (e.g. colleges, art galleries, libraries, schools or one of the locations at which Douglass spoke) create pieces that commemorate his work and his time in Ireland. During #DouglassWeek, the process of creating the artworks will be filmed and presented in a short documentary to be streamed on the project website.
Poetry Competition
Budding poets from Ireland and across the world are invited to submit entries for the #Douglassweek poetry competition, under the theme of “Frederick Douglass Now”. Entries should respond to and reflect upon the contemporary relevance of Frederick Douglass. This could include his visit to Ireland between 1845-46, or a more general reflection on his social activism and fight for equality in the current political climate.
Reading Group
The organizing committee will host a reading group focusing on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave and related writings. This will most likely take place online, through Zoom/MS Teams or a similar service, and will be hosted in collaboration with the Irish Association for American Studies.
Mural of Fredrick Douglass by Kevin O’Brien in Cork, 2020.