Cork County Council announces Creative Producer in Residence

Amna Walayat is a Cork-based Pakistani born visual artist. Amna has an M.A. in Modern and Contemporary Art, History, Theory and Criticism from University College Cork (2015) and an M.A. in Fine Arts from University of the Punjab, Lahore in Pakistan (2002). Amna has worked in Pakistan as Programme Organizer with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts; Curator with Alhamra Arts Council and PhD studio-based researcher with PURAF, University of the Punjab (2002-2007).

Amna will work with communities across Cork County, while also linking with the South Asian community in Cork to create a sustainable collection of art, artefacts, stories and traditions.

Amna has recently established the Ireland-Pakistan Arts Exchange (IPAE), with the aim of bringing both art communities together through creating opportunities for networking and exchange. Amna has a particular interest in gender, migration, British India, colonialism and orientalism.

Amna hopes to gather stories, histories and artefacts to form an exhibition or potentially a South Asian Museum. She is also exploring how people who are not necessarily professional artists practice learned skills like embroidery and calligraphy in their everyday lives.

Welcoming the announcement, Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley commented,
“Cork County Council is delighted to welcome Amna Walayat to the role of Creative Producer in Residence. This is a great opportunity to work with someone with such a wealth of experience and knowledge and an exciting prospect to celebrate and promote the culture and history of many communities in Cork County.”

For further details please contact Cork County Council’s Arts Office at creativeireland@corkcoco.ie