Archiving Skibbereen Statement: 19 August to 17 September 2006 Neva Elliott was on residency for four weeks in Skibbereen to devote her time exclusively to participating in and researching the activities of local groups and to form a personal snap shot of Skibbereen and district society. She created an archive of this information which was exhibited at West Cork Arts Centre as part of the exhibition Fresh: Re-imagining the Collection. Neva was based in a mobile, temporary studio space that she has specifically designed to allow her to work in different environments. The Archiving Skibbereen Studio was based in the Skibbereen Library for two weeks and Field’s Supermarket for eleven days. From this base Elliott participated in seventeen different community and social groups from arts to specialist interest, hobby and social activities. Her timetable over the weeks was generated by those who she met and through casual or intentional communications and networks. The by-product of this process was documentation and ephemera, which is housed in the temporary studio structure and an online web log of her experience. Archiving Skibbereen is a commentary on the diversity of human interests and interaction. The artist is interfacing with the environment and society through participation with individuals and groups and the accumulation of experience and knowledge. www.archivingskibbereen.blogspot.com Archiving Skibbereen has been made possible through the kindness of the people of West Cork, The West Cork Arts Centre with the support of Skibbereen Library and Fields Supermarket. Date: 2006