Dig Where We Stand

‘Dig Where We Stand’ is a one-day exhibition taking place in Clonoulty Community Garden for Heritage Week 2025. It is a celebration of the soil beneath our feet and community infrastructures. The exhibition showcases the foundations, journey and outcomes of a collaborative project which developed a community garden in the village of Clonoulty, Co. Tipperary.

Over four years, local artist Aoife Barret worked with residents of Clonoulty, using the community garden and our native ecosystems and plants as both a starting point for conversation and a source for artmaking. This ongoing project explores the power of collective gardening in nurturing and strengthening community foundations.

Working with local artist and curator Aideen Quirke, ‘Dig Where We Stand’ compiles a reflective archive to explore the development of this community-run green space. ‘Dig Where We Stand’ highlights the importance of such spaces in thinking about climate change and sustainability. The cultural shifts and infrastructures needed for building and strengthening community networks are examined through printed objects that present stories of collective action. Five themes map the ecosystems that feed collaborative community practice and nourish community spaces: Relationships; Local; Infrastructure; Rebuilding; and Space.

During the event, community members are invited to respond to the themes of the archive. Through participation, ‘Dig Where We Stand’ becomes a site of further connection and a catalyst for questioning and collaborative making. Following the event, the archive is housed in a community library box to inform our future participative projects.