Finding Shinrone: A Cultural Map is a collaborative community engagement project that saw students work closely with local residents to research, document and celebrate the unique cultural identity of the village. Through interviews, storytelling, music, memories and personal experiences, the team developed an interactive digital map that presents an authentic and engaging portrait of Shinrone, both past and present.

The project formed part of the students' coursework in cultural mapping and community engagement, providing an opportunity to put academic learning into practice through a real-world initiative. It reflects IADT's commitment to practice-based education, enabling students to explore how place, heritage and audience engagement can be brought together in meaningful and impactful ways.

At the outset of the project, the students developed a guiding mission:

"With curiosity and through meaningful conversation, we will respectfully discover and collate the unique stories and values of Shinrone with the end goal of developing a picture of the village that is true to its character, celebratory of its history, representative of its present and beneficial to its future."

Working alongside community members, the class reached out to local contacts and spent time meeting and interviewing people throughout the village. What they discovered was a remarkably close-knit community, generous with its time, stories and knowledge.

The students describe the experience as both inspiring and rewarding. Following a day of interviews and conversations, recordings were transformed into a collection of stories that faithfully represent the character of Shinrone and now form part of the interactive cultural map.

The project was completed in collaboration with the people of Shinrone, with special thanks to Bellefield House and Joe Cleary for their support and assistance throughout the process.

Reflecting on the experience, the students expressed their gratitude to everyone who shared their memories and perspectives, as well as the IADT staff who facilitated the project.

Finding Shinrone stands as an excellent example of how cultural event management students at IADT are developing the skills to engage communities, preserve local heritage, and create meaningful cultural experiences that have lasting value.

Congratulations to the Cultural Event Management Class of 2026 on this impressive community-led project.

View the map: