The Night Doesn’t Belong To Us exhibition comes to Limerick
‘The night Doesn’t Belong To Us’ will run from Monday 15th of July at until Thursday 25th of July at the People’s Museum of Limerick.
“The Night Doesn’t Belong To Us” is set to launch on Monday, July 15th, at 7pm at the People’s Museum of Limerick, and will continue until Thursday, July 25th
“The Night Doesn’t Belong To Us” is an exhibition supported by the 2023 Agility Award from the Arts Council of Ireland that addresses the concerns and experiences of women navigating the streets of Limerick city after dark. This photography exhibition, conceived by Eilís Walsh during the pandemic and created in collaboration with fellow photographers Maria McSweeney and Julie McLoughlin, aims to shed light on the safety concerns of women in Limerick city.
Photographer, Eilís Walsh said, “We often say ‘Text me when you get home’ as women, knowing that activities like walking home alone after a night out or going for a late-night run are riskier for us. The aim is to highlight these unsafe spots in Limerick at night, hoping that steps will be taken to make these places safer for women.”
The exhibition will run from Monday 15th of July at until Thursday 25th of July at the People’s Museum of Limerick.
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One of the artists working on the project Maria McSweeney said, “I am so grateful to contribute to the creation and presentation of this body of work.. It is crucial to raise awareness about this issue and address it effectively so that we can move towards a more equal society where safety and nighttime accessibility are available to everyone.”
Utilising a social media survey, the team gathered input from over 50 women to pinpoint six locations for photography. These locations were photographed during both day and night to highlight the contrast in safety. The exhibition will consist of twelve images featuring six women of varying ages and backgrounds in identified unsafe areas in Limerick city.
Also on display will be anonymous submissions of women in Limerick city recounting experiences of unsafety in the city.
“Working on this project was very eye-opening in terms of learning about shared experiences with other women and locating (mostly very public and open) spaces in Limerick that felt most unsafe. Shooting in the selected locations also made it very apparent why we need to highlight this issue and make a change for women’s safety. There was a stark contrast shooting between day and night.” said artist Julie McLoughlin.
William O’Neill of the People’s Museum of Limerick, the venue for the upcoming exhibition, expressed his support: “We here at the People’s Museum want to make Limerick a better, and safer place. As part of the Limerick Civic Trust, we strive to clean Limerick city and its surrounds, particularly with our drug litter picking in recent times.
“This project represents what we want to do: improve and enhance Limerick to create a safe community, where our most vulnerable citizens know that they are not alone and that there are allies ready to shine a light into the darkness. It was an honour to work with these artists to make such an impactful project.”
The exhibition is set to launch on Monday, July 15th, at 7pm at the People’s Museum of Limerick, and will continue until Thursday, July 25th.
