The Pram That Helped The Rising

Multimedia storytelling project · 2016

Amanda Jane Graham and Martin Donohoe with Zoran Donohoe, Bobby Walsh and Paul Farnan

Amanda Jane Graham performing The Pram That Helped The Rising, Townhall Theatre, Cavan, 2016

About the project

The Pram That Helped The Rising is a multimedia storytelling project exploring Irish migration, diaspora, memory and the transmission of cultural history across generations.

The project pays tribute to Cavan-born Marcus Daly, whose remarkable career in Montana's copper-mining industry helped make Butte known as the "Richest Hill on Earth". Through storytelling, music, performance and projected imagery, the work brings the oral history of a displaced Irish community into a contemporary context.

The project acknowledges the important role of storytelling within Irish culture as a means of preserving personal and collective memory. It considers how stories, histories and cultural traditions can travel across geographical boundaries while remaining connected to the communities from which they originated.

Developed by Visual Artist Amanda Jane Graham and Traditional Musician Martin Donohoe, with Zoran Donohoe on harp, Bobby Walsh on guitar and technician Paul Farnan, The Pram That Helped The Rising was commissioned by Cavan Arts Office and Cavan County Council with support from the Arts Council of Ireland and Irish Water. Cavan Curators in Residence 2015, Annette Moloney and Maeve Mulrennan, curated the project.

Project Information

Title: The Pram That Helped The Rising
Year: 2016
Format: Multimedia storytelling / performance
Artist: Amanda Jane Graham
Collaborator & Traditional Musician: Martin Donohoe
Musicians: Zoran Donohoe, Bobby Walsh
Technician: Paul Farnan

Venue: Townhall Theatre, Cavan
Commissioned by: Cavan Arts Office and Cavan County Council
Supported by: Arts Council of Ireland and Irish Water
Curated by: Annette Moloney and Maeve Mulrennan, Cavan Curators in Residence 2015

Project documentation

The Pram That Helped The Rising, Townhall Theatre, Cavan, 2016.

Martin Donohoe performing during The Pram That Helped The Rising, Townhall Theatre, Cavan, 2016.

Amanda Jane Graham performing during The Pram That Helped The Rising, Townhall Theatre, Cavan, 2016.

Bobby Walsh, Martin Donohoe and Zoran Donohoe performing during The Pram That Helped The Rising, Townhall Theatre, Cavan, 2016.

Amanda Jane Graham during the multimedia storytelling performance, Townhall Theatre, Cavan, 2016.

The Pram That Helped The Rising receives a standing ovation at the Townhall Theatre, Cavan, 2016.

Context

The Pram That Helped The Rising forms part of Amanda Jane Graham's wider artistic investigation into memory, cultural history, identity, migration and the ways stories are preserved, transmitted and reinterpreted through creative practice.