EVA International | Better Words

Better Words

About Better Words

Better Words is an initiative by EVA International to empower new forms of access and engagement with contemporary art through a programme of creative language projects. EVA has a long-standing commitment to the idea of making contemporary art both accessible and engagable to the broadest possible public. Better Words is a programme which foregrounds experimental language inquiries in a bid to overcome some of the access barriers surrounding language that can often limit the broader engagement with contemporary art experiences.

Current and Recent Projects

Dhá Theanga
A new platform of multi-language audio responses, developed in relation to Phase 1 of the 39th EVA International exhibition programme. The project engaged with local multi-linguists in Limerick to explore a creative mediation of the exhibition programme that resulted in audio responses in the languages of Nigerian Pidgin English, Catalan, Polish and Irish. All audio responses are available via Soundcloud here.

The project featured local participants Ajibola S. Abiodun, a creative writer and blogger; Marta Giralt, Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and Spanish in the School of Modern Languages, University of Limerick; Justyna Cwojdzińska, a theatre performer, cultural activist and founder and artistic director of Polish Arts Festival in Limerick; and Liam Murray, Senior Lecturer in French and Language Technologies at University of Limerick. The responses reflected personal connections that participants made with the artworks, thematics and exhibiting spaces during their engagement. Each audio piece was developed and produced in collaboration with Grey Heron Media.

The project sought to both expand EVA’s reach to language communities other than English, while also giving evidence and opportunity to the creative language abilities that exist within the local community of Limerick. Dhá Theanga is part of an international partnership between EVA and MagiC Carpets, a Creative Europe platform which creates opportunities for emerging artists to embark on journeys with local artists and local communities.

Better Words: A Field Guide to Contemporary Art and Culture
In 2019 EVA published Better Words: A Field Guide to Contemporary Art and Culture, with the support of Creative Ireland’s National Creativity Fund. It was developed with school children in Limerick City and County through a series of guided workshops and artistic encounters at leading artists’ studios, museums and galleries across Ireland. Through creative facilitation and direct engagement with practicing contemporary artists and creative writers, children were encouraged to creatively articulate their experiences of art; improving literacy and experimenting with new word-forms. A free copy was distributed across the Creative Schools network in Ireland for each school library.

Free copies are available to all primary school libraries nationwide. Contact eimear@eva.ie to order a copy. Please note that a nominal fee of €3 for post and package will apply. Queries should be made by schools directly, one copy available per school while stocks last.

Back to Home

EVA Archive

Better Words