‘Branching Out’ is a major new partnership between National Irish Bank and the Irish Museum of Modern Art to promote greater community involvement in the visual arts. It is designed to be an inclusive and participative programme, engaging communities across the country in the visual arts.

Six projects from IMMA’s 2003 National Programme – in Clonmel, Mullingar, Ennis, Tallaght, Limerick and Cork – have been selected to take part. In every location the Museum, in conjunction with the venue and the local National Irish branch, is putting in place an education programme to support each exhibition. Each programme will be different, and may include a public lecture, workshops for local groups or talks for local schoolchildren. Geographical spread was important in the choice of locations, to ensure as many people as possible would be able to enjoy the high quality arts programmes with which IMMA is associated.

Employees of selected branches will be involved at different levels – taking part in workshops with their families and customers, hosting opening events and inviting local groups to be involved.

The first exhibition as part of this programme, Storytellers from the IMMA Collection, continues until 28 February in the South Tipperary Arts Centre, Clonmel, Co Tipperary. The exhibition includes a selection of work by national and international artists from the IMMA Collection including Pablo Picasso, Paula Rego, Alice Maher and John Kindness. The exhibition is accompanied by a series of workshops and talks.