CIACLA is a non profit 501(c)(3) arts organization that promotes Contemporary Irish Culture and supports local communities in Los Angeles through a multidisciplinary diverse programme in collaboration with local and international cultural partnerships. CIACLA currently partners with existing venues to facilitate this program and is focused on developing a creative platform to support artists. CIACLA champions the promotion, collaboration and dissemination of Irish-American cultural contributions in both Ireland and the United States, enhancing global understanding and strengthening the ties between the two nations.
Aims
- Promotion of Irish Arts and Cultural Exchange: CIACLA promotes contemporary Irish visual artists and cultural traditions through a variety of programs and events. This includes showcasing Irish Cinema, leading visual artists, contemporary Irish music acts, and innovative Irish dance and theatre. The organization not only aims to connect and support artists, creatives, and Irish immigrants in Los Angeles through its activities including CIACLA’s Creative Network but also fosters collaboration between Los Angeles-based artists and Irish artists to promote creative exchange and innovation. This enhances the bilateral cultural relations between the U.S. and Ireland, establishing platforms for dialogue and mutual understanding.
- Foster Bilateral Cultural Relations: Establish and maintain partnerships with cultural, educational, and governmental organizations in Ireland and the USA to foster ongoing cultural exchange. These partnerships aim to create platforms for dialogue and mutual understanding, thus strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations through arts and culture.
- Community and Educational Development: CIACLA is committed to supporting the development and growth of communities in by offering cultural programs that educate the public about the rich cultural shared heritage of USA and Ireland. The organization provides a unique setting for the promotion of Irish American activities to an Irish Audience in Ireland and also to creatives in the USA to present their work and for the Irish community in Los Angeles to come together and celebrate their shared cultural identity. Additionally, CIACLA supports youth-led projects and initiatives designed to engage the next generation of the Irish diaspora and foster women’s empowerment among the Irish diaspora.
- Disseminate Cultural & Educational Content Globally: CIACLA continues to develop and distribute cultural content that highlights the historical and contemporary contributions of Irish-Americans to both the U.S. and Ireland, such as digital content, publications, and collaborative art and media projects that are accessible to international audiences, particularly focusing on promoting cultural diversity, and bilateral cooperation.
- Promotes US and Irish Values and Culture Internationally: CIACLA aims to actively promote and share U.S. values and the richness of Irish-American culture through international exhibitions, performances, and collaborative projects. This includes promoting and organizing events in Ireland and the USA that showcase the contributions and cultural heritage of the Irish-American community, thereby strengthening international understanding and appreciation.
- Diverse and Inclusive Outreach: The organization actively works to develop new ways to communicate and connect with the increasingly diverse global Irish and american community, including non-traditional diasporas and young emigrants. CIACLA supports projects that take a broad and inclusive view of the Irish diaspora, including Travellers, LGBTQI, and people with mixed ethnic backgrounds. By building partnerships with local and international cultural organizations, CIACLA expands the reach and impact of its programs, further strengthening the ties between the United States and Ireland.
- Enhance Global Understanding: CIACLA utilizes cultural activities as a key tool in international relations by engaging artists, educators, and cultural leaders in programs that are designed to mitigate cultural barriers and enhance global peace and understanding. This involves curating events that not only entertain but also educate audiences about the USA and Irish shared cultural landscapes.
- Sustainability and Ethical Funding: As a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) charity, CIACLA ensures that all funds raised are reinvested back into the program, operations, and ethos of the organization. This commitment to sustainability supports CIACLA’s mission to provide a space for innovative and exciting contemporary Irish literature and design, and to promote and preserve the Irish language (Gaeilge), ensuring its vibrant legacy thrives within contemporary and future generations.
ETHOS:
- CIACLA is a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) charity where all funds raised are placed back into the program, operations and ethos of the organization.
- To promote the Contemporary Irish Arts, providing a platform for Irish and Irish-American and local LA based Artists to showcase their work
- To support the growth and development of local communities in Los Angeles through educational and cultural programs
- To foster collaboration between Los Angeles-based artists and Irish artists, promoting creative exchange and innovation
- To educate the public about the ongoing contributions of Ireland to the arts
- To provide a space for the Irish community in Los Angeles to come together and celebrate their shared cultural identity
- To build partnerships with local and international cultural organizations
- To encourage the preservation and promotion of Irish culture
- To act as a support system for Irish artists, creatives, and Irish immigrants living in Los Angeles
- To strive for excellence and innovation in showcasing contemporary Irish arts and culture in Los Angeles.
Current program
Check out our current program here. Throughout the year CIACLA will partner with venues and organisations across Los Angeles to host pop up CIACLA produced Events while also supporting new partnerships through our promotional Platform. Join our newsletter or follow our social media for info on upcoming events.
HISTORY OF CIACLA
The journey of CIACLA began in 2011 when Matthew Nevin and Ciara Scanlan of MART Gallery & Studios Dublin started curating exhibitions and events in Los Angeles. With Matthew's experience in the creative industries in LA since 2005 and Ciara's co-founding of MART in 2007, they embarked on a mission to launch CIACLA by producing annual exhibitions in the city, starting with the "Invite or Reject" exhibition as part of the government of Ireland's "Imagine Ireland'' initiative in 2011, supported by Culture Ireland. Over the next few years the pair curated annual exhibitions promoting Irish and American artists while collaborating with local galleries such as Hive, LACE, C4, CB1, DAC, and
Arena 1. In 2018, they created a pop-up gallery on Hollywood Boulevard as part of IrelandWeek, all while building a strong community of artists, creatives, Irish immigrants, and an audience eager to connect with contemporary Irish culture.
In 2019, following eight years of successful exhibitions and events, the pair, along with Director of Development Jennifer Minniti Shippey, founded CIACLA as a California-based non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization with a goal to promote contemporary Irish culture. With the help of Jenn McGuirk and a fantastic team of volunteers and cultural advisors, they put together an exciting multidisciplinary summer of events at a pop-up gallery in Bergamot Station, Santa Monica.
Despite the challenges of COVID-19 in 2020-2021, CIACLA thrived online, providing artists with a platform to engage with their audience, and in 2022, they returned to in-person programming, partnering with local venues to support the growth and flourishing of theater, music, literature, and all the arts.
CIACLA's thriving programming sets the foundation for its ultimate goal of establishing a flagship Contemporary Irish Arts Center Los Angeles, while continuously striving for excellence and innovation in presenting contemporary Irish arts and culture in LA.
To learn more about our programming please visit our website and scroll through our current and previous program.
It is with great thanks to all of CIACLA’s partners, sponsors and grant agencies for supporting CIACLA to achieve our artistic program and activities.