A NEWLY-conferred graduate of University of Limerick (UL) will soon embark on a touring exhibition across the country inspired by his research on Ireland’s anti-nuclear festivals.
Caimin Walsh, who was conferred with a Master’s in Ethnomusicology from UL’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, was one of over 2,000 students to graduate at UL’s recent Winter Conferring Ceremonies.
A firm believer in the power of art to encourage and facilitate social good, the Caherdavin native is steeped in the Limerick arts scene as a curator of contemporary art at Limerick’s Ormston House where he develops arts projects, events, and exhibitions with artists and musicians. He also holds a degree in Fine Art from Limerick School of Art and Design.
Ormston House’s upcoming exhibition, Memory of a Free Festival, centres on Ireland’s Anti-Nuclear Movement (1978-1981) and the music festivals that helped to mobilise communities against nuclear power, a topic Caimin explored extensively for his MA thesis.
The exhibition will feature reproductions of items held in UL’s collections, which Caimin drew on for his research.
As a musician, Caimin said he was intrigued to understand what role music has in society and how it can bring people together to critique power structures and provide alternative forms of insight into complex issues.
The exhibition will be launched at Dublin’s Project Arts Centre in March and will open in Limerick’s Ormston House in mid-April before moving to Wexford Arts Centre in August and Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre in 2027.
Further details at ormstonhouse.com/memory-of-a-free-festival.