Call for participants for defective concrete blocks film project  in Donegal

Artlink  Dunree and artist Marie Barrett are inviting people across Inishowen and the north West to take part in a new community-driven film project, exploring the lived reality of the defective concrete blocks crisis.

Led by Marie during her residency at Artlink, the film project is a socially engaged, collaborative initiative that aims to document the human experience behind one of Donegal’s most devastating housing crises.Often described as an “earthquake in slow motion”, the crisis has deeply affected families and communities across Inishowen, where homes have gradually deteriorated over time.

The project seeks to capture both the visible damage – cracks in walls – and the often-overlooked emotional and sensory experience, including the sounds of creaking structures and the strain of living with uncertainty.

READ NEXT: Féile na hInse announces second concert as part of Dinny McLaughlin tribute

Through a series of creative workshops, participants will work together to shape an immersive, site-specific film rooted in local voices and experiences.

The project welcomes anyone who is living with, affected by, or connected to the crisis.Participants will have the opportunity to share personal stories and experiences, contribute photos, videos, and sound recording and collaboratively create visual and audio material for the film.

The workshops will culminate in a special outdoor screening, where the finished film will be presented in a powerful, locally meaningful setting.

Marie Barrett is known for her socially engaged art practice. Since the 1980s, she has created site-specific public artworks in collaboration with communities such as garment workers, women’s groups, and young people in Derry and Donegal, encouraging dialogue between often divergent groups.

Artist Marie Barrett is known for her socially engaged art practice

Barrett is co-founder and artistic director of North-55 and has received several awards, including the Alice Berger Trust Award (Berlin) and the Cultural Relations Travel Award (Quebec). During her residency at Artlink, she is leading this socially engaged MICA Film Project in collaboration with the Inishowen Development Partnership and local community organisations.

Speaking ahead of the new film project, Marie Barrett said: “This project is really about creating a space where people can come together and share what this experience has been like for them. The mica crisis isn’t just something you see in cracked or crumbling walls – it’s something people are living with every day. Through the film, we want to gently capture those stories, the sounds, the emotions, and the reality of it, in a way that feels honest and led by the community itself.”

Artlink project co-ordinator Martha McCulloch is encouraging people to take part:“The MICA Film Project is not just about documenting the damage to homes – it is about giving voice to a community, preserving lived experiences, and creating a shared space for reflection, expression, and connection.

“You don’t need any experience to get involved – just a willingness to come along and share, listen, or even just be curious. These workshops are a really welcoming space, and every voice matters. If the mica crisis has touched your life in any way, we’d love you to join us and be part of telling this important story.”

The workshop will take place at Artlink Fort Dunree in Inishowen, and participants are asked to book one of the following dates: Saturday, May 9, Saturday May 16, or Saturday, May 23.

Attendees should bring a phone or camera, along with any photos, videos, or sound recordings they wish to use, as well as a pen drive and any necessary connecting leads.

For further information on the MICA Film Project or to book a workshop date, you can email info@artlink.ie, visit www.artlink.ie, check Facebook.com/Artlinkfortdunreepage, or contact a member of the Artlink team on 0838696513.