2 March 2021
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Gurranabraher Credit Union, in partnership with Sample-Studios and Cork City Council Commemoration Fund have been shortlisted for a major national Arts Award, the Business to Arts Award for Best Small Sponsorship for their Community Photography Project, PhotoGo. PhotoGo launched on Culture Night 2020 and invited Corkonians to take photographs which celebrated Cork City’s Northside communities and the theme of ‘legacy’, to mark this important centenary year of the Burning of Cork in 1920.
File photo from 18/09/20
Pictured are, Michael O’Connell, Vice Chairperson Gurranabraher Credit Union, Aoibhie McCarthy, Artistic Director of Sample-Studios and Brian Neville, Deputy Chief Executive Gurranabraher Credit Union, at the launch of Gurranabraher Credit Unions’ PhotoGo Photography Competition starting on Culture Night, at Gurranabraher Credit Union, Bakers Road, Cork.
Amateur Photographers will get a chance to showcase their talents again this year with the announcement that Gurranabraher Credit Unions’ PhotoGo Photography Competition is back, bigger and better.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Over 100 photo entries were received, including entries by local Transition Year students from St. Vincent’s Secondary School and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire A.G, who participated in a series of free school’s photography workshops with artist and Sample-Studios member Kate McElroy. During Phase 5 in November 2020, visitors to Fitzgerald’s Park were able to enjoy the PhotoGo entries on display in the windows of The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion, as well as in an online exhibition and vote for their favourite. Over 4000 public votes were received for the PhotoGo People’s Voice Award. Artistic Director, Aoibhie McCarthy, explains, “By presenting PhotoGo in The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion windows and online, we found a creative and safe way to enable people to enjoy over 100 different vantage points of Cork City’s Northside. ”
Michael O Connell, Chair of Gurranabraher Credit Unions’, Community Development & Education Committee, speaking about being shortlisted for this Award said “This is the 2nd year of our PhotoGo initiative with Sample-Studios and we are delighted that this has been recognised and shortlisted for this national award. We couldn’t be happier that this initiative provided the perfect chance for people to get out and really look at our great City. As a community organisation, we feel it is one of our most important roles to promote our communities.”
PhotoGo is proudly supported by Gurranabraher Credit Union and Cork City Council Commemoration Fund. Sample-Studios and Gurranabraher Credit Union are shortlisted for the Business to Arts Awards alongside Druid Theatre Galway, Cork International Film Festival and Baboró International Arts Festival for Children. The winners will be announced at the Business to Arts Awards, which will take place online live from the GPO on April 21st
