One of Sligo's oldest social and community centres is to be given a new lease of life after years of inactivity and dilapidation.

The revival of Sligo Trades Club in Castle Street is being sparked by The Model, which has commissioned the artist, Seamus Nolan, to develop a new process-based and socially collaborative art project, which aims to reestablish the traditional Trades Club as a selfdetermined centre for community involvement.

For more than 100 years, the Trades Club was a traditional social and community centre in the town.'The Trades Club Revival' project will see Seamus Nolan bring together and collaborate with past members and potential future members, inviting them to become involved in the organisation of the club's revival as a working social institute.

With the generous support of the owner of the building, the premises on Castle Street has been loaned to the artist for the duration of the project. Currently in a state of disrepair, a commitment has been made to renovate the premises to a safe and usable standard in order to begin work on the revival of the club.

The project, which involves working with the owner, the city and the community to renovate the premises to a usable and comfortable state, will also gather and compile a concise history of the Trades Club, with the aim of forming a permanent collection of images, documents and material which will be exhibited in the club.

Working with volunteers to rebuild and decorate the interior of the club, the project aims to put together a programme of events and activities to take place in the club once its re-opened.

Anyone with an interest in the history and the future of the Trades Club is invited to attend an informal meeting to be held in the premises on Friday next, October 9th, at 8p.m.

- JIM GRAY