About Na Cailleacha
We are Na Cailleacha, from the Irish word ‘cailleach’ meaning a witch or a divine hag. We want to explore what it means to be women who are getting older and arguably becoming invisible and what strategies we devise to overcome the challenges of ageing.
Between us we share well over 500 years of experience of being women, as artists, as curator/writer/historian and as composer. We want to make art that allows us to explore this collective experience, our attitudes to ageing, our bodies, our place in the artworld, and how we relate to a different culture and heritage. Central to this developmental opportunity in this phase of our careers is working collaboratively, enabling us to do what women have always done – mentored, supported and argued with each other - so that we can share the fruits of this time together with other people in Ireland.
We work and explore ideas and issues that are relevant to us now and as they arise out of collective meetings and residencies. Our concerns embrace the processes of aging, loss and stereotypes of the witch or hag in society and we hope to work across generations, gender, race and class identities to make socially committed art with and for the community.
We are Na Cailleacha, from the Irish word ‘cailleach’ meaning a witch or a divine hag. We want to explore what it means to be women who are getting older and arguably becoming invisible and what strategies we devise to overcome the challenges of ageing.
Between us we share well over 500 years of experience of being women, as artists, as curator/writer/historian and as composer. We want to make art that allows us to explore this collective experience, our attitudes to ageing, our bodies, our place in the artworld, and how we relate to a different culture and heritage. Central to this developmental opportunity in this phase of our careers is working collaboratively, enabling us to do what women have always done – mentored, supported and argued with each other - so that we can share the fruits of this time together with other people in Ireland.
We work and explore ideas and issues that are relevant to us now and as they arise out of collective meetings and residencies. Our concerns embrace the processes of aging, loss and stereotypes of the witch or hag in society and we hope to work across generations, gender, race and class identities to make socially committed art with and for the community.
From January 2020– December 2021
- We have made a group print portfolio, The Ballinglen Prints. (If anyone wants to purchase a boxed set, please contact our website).
- Helen Comerford created and exhibited a new series of encaustic paintings.
- Barbara Freeman made Seven Voices, a short film based on the ageing skin of the Cailleachs and the landscape of North Mayo and is now working with Carole Nelson on a collaboration for 2022.
- Patricia Hurl made portraits of the Cailleachs as well as some of the community in Ballycastle, initiated a life-sized rag-doll project, and made a new video performance with Therry Rudin.
- Catherine Marshall ‘curated’ discussions about ageing, creativity and feminism, wrote a blog and chaired and presented five public engagements and created a poster homage to the Guerrilla Girls.
- Carole Nelson composed and recorded her third album, due for release early 2022 - inspired by her time with the group. She also composed and performed a new work The Brosna Suite.
- Therry Rudin wrote and directed Dawn to Dusk which has shown nationwide and will be shown internationally in 2022.
- Gerda Teljeur created Untitled, a mammoth line drawing and master-minded a collaborative work with drawings by everyone in the group and music by Carole Nelson.
- We held public engagements sessions on air as part of Bealtaine, and in STAC, Clonmel, Ballinglen Art Foundation, Ballina and by zoom, in New York with Guerrilla Girl, Frida Kahlo
- We established a website and kept a blog/journal of our thoughts and actions during our residencies and meetings.
- We made friends, supported each other, nudged good ideas out of our colleagues, shared valuable experience and had great fun.