Tales from the Promised Land is a site-specific exhibition that publicly celebrates and shares a range of diverse and creative artwork created against the backdrop of proposed regeneration plans for St Michael's Estate.

"Arts and cultural organizations open our eyes to new and different ways of viewing ourselves and our world, through their creative acts, they stoke creative thinking in all of us - thinking that leads to innovation, invention, and works of balance and beauty. Creative thinking built this region, and we believe creative thinking will sustain it. The health and vitality of our artists and arts and cultural organizations play a critical role in the strength of our economy and the quality of our community life."

President Rip
Rapson of the Kresge Foundation, Detroit

The community with which Common Ground works is undergoing massive physical and social regeneration, with the redevelopment of the flat complexes of Fatima Mansions, St Michael's Estate and the proposed regeneration of Dolphin House.

In November 2007, the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Women's Group together with Phil Keane, FRC project worker, collaborated with Common Ground and photographer Aislinn Delaney to develop two pieces of work. Using eighteenth century costumes and props to explore the differences between the daily lives of women then and now, Blast from the Past emerged as a photographic project. Following on from that, No Ordinary Lives was inspired by the stories of women prisoners and visitors linked with Kilmainham Gaol over the years.  The Women's group is Nicky Fahy, Deirdre Mockler, Adrienne Shortt and Claire Smyth.

Aislinn Delaney completed a BA in Documentary Photography at the University of Wales, Newport and returned to St Michael's Estate in 2007 to work in collaboration with the local Family Resource Centre as well as on her own documentary practice.

A photography project celebrating community and family life in Dolphin House, Rialto,  From  2006 - 2007 Common Ground and Dolphin House Development Association commissioned artist, Enda O'Brien to capture and document families and community life through both a photographic studio process and out and about in the estate and its environs.

The vision behind the project is to capture family life in Dolphin House prior to the onset of a possible regeneration process in the flat complex.  Its ambition is to archive and exhibit family life in Dolphin House.  The images that emerged from the project were exhibited during Dolphin Decides a summer regeneration festival held in Dolphin House during summer 2008. ill be exhibited in different formats both in and outside the community to communicate the diversity, participation and contribution that  family life makes to the Dolphin House community.

The project was resourced, co-ordinated and supported through the roles of Siobhán Geoghegan in Common Ground, local residents Linda Kenny and Margaret White from the Digital Project and Enda's able and enthusiastic photography assistant, Molly Gallagher.

Part funded by the Dormant Accounts Board