WHEN: October 2025 – March 2026 (excluding November 2025)

 WHERE: County Mayo, Ireland

 FOCUS: county council’s interdisciplinary approach

Summary of the programme: 

Mayo County Council’s Culture and Creativity Team invites a peer to explore how rural regeneration can thrive through place-based cultural and creative initiatives. This 5-day exchange will spotlight Mayo’s interdisciplinary approach - where arts, heritage, literature, and language have long supported regeneration and revitalisation, and how it continues to evolve through collaboration with scientists, environmentalists, business owners, and community leaders. The participant will engage with completed, ongoing, and emerging projects. Each day combines site visits, stakeholder meetings, and time for reflection, offering a deep dive into how creativity can transform rural towns and landscapes. From spaces for art to heritage-led projects and nature-based creativity, Mayo offers a compelling example of rural innovation through culture.

Activities will include: 

• Exploring Ballina 230, a year-long cultural programme that revitalised the town through community-led events
• Visit to the Ballinglen Arts Foundation
• Exploring Foxford’s long-standing tradition of regeneration through crafts and heritage
• Visit to the Wild Nephin National Park, looking into how regeneration and revitalisation in rural contexts relates to natural landscapes
• Meeting with local stakeholders to discuss early-stage cultural initiatives in towns

Exchange period:

The peer exchange with Mayo County Council will take place between October 2025 – March 2026, excluding November 2025. The selected Visitor will agree directly with the Host on the exact dates.

Description of the Host organisation:

Mayo County Council is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all residents and making the county a welcoming place to live, work, visit, and invest in. Its mission is to promote the well-being of communities by fostering economic resilience, sustainable development, cultural vibrancy, and social inclusion. The council envisions Mayo as a county that is prosperous, dynamic, and rooted in heritage, while continuously adapting to new opportunities for growth and innovation.

The Culture and Creativity Team is a key pillar within this broader vision. Its role is to embed arts, heritage, and creative industries into Mayo’s development strategy, ensuring that creativity is accessible, inclusive, and impactful. By fostering a thriving cultural ecosystem, the council strengthens community resilience, enhances local identity, and promotes Mayo as a centre for artistic and cultural excellence.

County Mayo

 mayo.ie

What makes Mayo County Council an Ambassador of Good Practice? 

Mayo County Council’s Culture and Creativity Strategy supports rural regeneration by using local heritage, arts, and innovation to strengthen communities and boost economic growth. As part of the Creative Ireland Programme, the Culture and Creativity Team leads grassroots initiatives, promotes collaboration with local artists, and encourages inclusive, interdisciplinary participation, including STEAM education. Their place-based approach focuses on existing assets—like landscapes, traditions, and dispersed talent—rather than urban models. Projects are landscape-integrated, such as nature-based art and storytelling. By fostering collaboration over competition, the council builds a resilient creative ecosystem tailored to rural needs, offering a valuable model for similar regions. 

What does Mayo County Council hope to gain from the P2P exchange? 

“We hope to connect with others who are exploring how culture and creativity can serve as powerful tools for regeneration and revitalisation. We're particularly interested in learning from those navigating the balance between adapting urban models and developing approaches rooted in rural realities. This exchange offers an opportunity to gain fresh perspectives, reflect on the work already done in Mayo, and contribute to a shared understanding of what meaningful, place-based cultural regeneration can look like in non-urban contexts.”

Facilities for the Visitor

• Access to desks and workspaces in any of Mayo’s 14 library branches for reading, research, and documentation
• Meetings at Áras an Chontae (town hall), where a dedicated room with screens and presentation facilities will be available for discussions and collaborative work
• Use of e-car for site visits across Mayo

Apply here