connect your community through arts
mandala creative spirit of community
Creativity through mandala?
At Creative Together we often use 'Mandala' as part of the work that we do with groups in Ireland to create a special sense of togetherness and to inspire their creativity.
Mandala, a form of art and often used as a tool for spiritual practice., The word mandala comes from Sanskrit and means a circle and was traditionally used in Tibetan Buddhism as a meditation practice, teaching a lesson about the impermanent nature of reality. The monks would spend months drawing intricate designs with colourful sand just to destroy it with one gesture of a hand later.
Mandala, art in form of a circle can be found in any culture from native cultures of the Americas, through Hinduistic India to the stunning window glass work of cathedrals of Christian Europe. In recent days mandala became very popular as a relaxation activity through drawing and colouring detailed designs. We have been inspired by the work of Solas Art and Dean Mulroy in Ireland.
Mandala for your community
Creative Together provides all of the natural materials for the mandala, including wood, stones, shells and sand.
The whole process from the design to the destruction of the piece takes about 2-4 hours, depending on the size of the mandala and the size of the group we're working with. Our designs are about 6ft - 10ft in diameter and will be a stunning visual centrepiece of any event. We can work indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather.
Mindfulness with mandala
We also use the mandala as a tool for mindfulness practice. You can join our workshops and retreats to experience a deeper work with the breath and creative process in a more meditative way. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates about any upcoming events.
 Mandala at PortumnaMandala mosaic at Walled Gardens Heritage Day with Galway County Council |  Mandala art with childrenCommunity Mandala at Walled Town Day 2017 in Athenry |  Community Mandala at Walled Town DayCommunity Mandala at Walled Town Day 2017 in Athenry |
|---|---|---|
 Mandala at Portumna 2019Mandala mosaic at Walled Gardens Heritage Day with Galway County Council |  Mandala with Youth Work IrelandMandala celebrating IDAHO with Youth Work Ireland, SHOut! Galway, Ireland |  Children Mandalaat Earthsong Camp 2014 |
 Mandala at Youth Fair RoscommonCreating mandala and interacting with young people at Youth Fair Roscommon |  Mandala at Earthsong 2015Children at Earthsong |  Mandala at Faile na Tuaithe 2015National Museum of Country Life, Co. Mayo |
 Mandala Loughrea Medieval FestivalChildren creating mandala |  Mandala at Youth Fair RoscommonPositive mental health in action |  Children Mandalaat Earthsong Camp 2014 |
 Mandala at Youth Fair RoscommonCreating mandala and interacting with young people at Youth Fair Roscommon |  Mandala at National Play Day 2015Oranamore, Co. Galway |  Mandala at Earthsong 2015 |
 Natural elements |  Mandala at Midsummer's Eve FestivalMandala at Burren Art College Co Clare Ireland |  Destroying the mandalaGlobal Inspiration Conference 2015, Co. Mayo |
 Mandala at Faile na Tuaithe 2015National Museum of Country Life, Co. Mayo |  Mandala Loughrea Medieval FestivalCommemorating 780 years of Loughrea with a community mandala |  Mandala at the Summer CampTooreen, Co. Mayo |
mural artistic educational interactive
Why murals
At Creative Together we also use murals in our work in Ireland. Good murals have both an artistic and aesthetic value and they are a special way to show visually what your community is about and can become a special mark of your place.
When you pass through Irish towns and villages, you can see a lot of murals, adding some character to the places, including public space, schools, playschools, after-schools, community, youth centres or even an old handball court.
Ireland has a lot of spaces for creative expression.
Murals for your community
At Creative Together we will work with you to create a mural that represents your community and what it stands for.
We will work with you to see what kind of space do you want to create for your community and then kelp you to bring it to life. We will make sure the members of your community can participate in the process. We can paint the mural for you, but it's much more fun to get everyone involved if only a little. Our designs are artistic, but we like the idea of the mural to be educational or interactive or both.
 Creating School MuralArtistic Mural with children from Glencorrib NS, Mayo / Galway |  Artistic Mural at Play-school MayoArtistic Interactive Educational Mural - School, After-School, Play-school in Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, Clare |  Interactive mural for schoolsChildren testing interactive mural in Mayo / Galway |
|---|---|---|
 Art mural for your community, artistic mural IrelandArtistic mural for your community. |  Murals for schools and homesArtistic Mural in Ireland, Mayo, Galway, Roscommon |  Educational MuralNational School, Kilbeacanty, Gort, Co. Galway |
 Artistic Mural For ChildrenMurals for children Mayo Galway Roscommon |  Artistic Mural Mayo IrelandArtistic Interactive Educational Mural - School, After-School, Play-school in Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, Clare |  Faeries Mural at Play-school MayoArtistic Interactive Educational Mural - School, After-School, Play-school in Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, Clare |
 Artistic Mural at Play-school MayoMural At Shrule, Galway / Mayo |  Educational MuralNational School, Kilbeacanty, Gort, Co. Galway |  Murals for schools and homesArtistic Mural in Ireland, Mayo, Galway, Roscommon |
 Artistic Mural at Play-school MayoMural At Shrule, Galway / Mayo |  Murals for schools and homesArtistic Mural in Ireland, Mayo, Galway, Roscommon |  Artistic MuralArtistic Mural with children from Glencorrib NS |
 Educational MuralNational School, Kilbeacanty, Gort, Co. Galway |  School MuralArtistic Mural with children from Glencorrib NS, Mayo / Galway |  Children painting muralArtistic Mural with children from Glencorrib NS, Mayo / Galway |
 Creating School MuralArtistic Mural with children from Glencorrib NS, Mayo / Galway |  School MuralMural at Glencorrib National School Mayo / Galway |  Artistic Mural for ChildrenAt Maple Youth Centre, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo |
 Educational MuralNational School, Kilbeacanty, Gort, Co. Galway |  Artistic Mural for ChildrenAt Maple Youth Centre, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo |  Educational MuralNational School, Kilbeacanty, Gort, Co. Galway |
 Artistic Mural for ChildrenAt Maple Youth Centre, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo |  Artistic Mural for ChildrenAt Maple Youth Centre, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo |  Artistic Mural for ChildrenAt Maple Youth Centre, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo |
 Children BedroomMural for Children Room Galway Mayo Roscommon |
community art & consultation
If you're looking at engaging your community in art, or need some guidance and ideas, please don't hesitate to contact us. Together we can find ways of being creative together, despite the restrictions that are in place at the moment due to COVID-19. Art can boost the well-being and mental health of your community as well as make a special statement about who you are. Let's find ways we can do this together.
We are also experienced in mediation, consultation and support in developing ideas.
See the projects we've done with Galway City Council, Galway - Greening the Laneways. We've engaged with the local community to create various art pieces - a tile mosaic, selfie mural painted by children, and more. This way together we've created a more playful space and a sense of ownership as well as tackled the anti-social behaviour of graffiti and littering.
See a short video about our first project with the council here.
 Greening the laneways Galway Rockfield Park |  Greening the laneways Galway Rockfield Park |  Greening the laneways Galway Rockfield Park |
|---|---|---|
 Greening the laneways Galway Rockfield Park |  Greening the laneways Galway Rockfield Park |  Greening the Laneways Westside GalwayOpening of the project Greening the laneways by the Mayor and local Councillors from Galway City Council |
 Greening the laneways |  Engaging community in art |  Engaging community in art |
 Engaging community in art |  Engaging community in art |  Engaging community in art |
 Engaging community in artSelfie wall painted by the local kids |  Engaging community in art |  Engaging community in art |
 Engaging community in art |  Engaging community in art |  Engaging community in art |
 Engaging community in art |  Engaging community in artCreating a tile mosaic together |  Engaging community in artTile mosaic |