Laying Out

Saturday 31 May 2025
10am until 5pm
St Peter’s, 87A North Main Street, Cork, T12 RF8D

You are invited to participate in the laying out of all 12,000 dolls made for The Bábóg Project.

This is a unique and one-off opportunity to see this incredible body of work in its entirety.

All are welcome.

Details of the day

You are welcome to participate as much or as little as feels right for you. You can arrive at any time and leave at any time and you can also come and go as you please.

10am Laying out

There will be a pre-marked guide on the floor of the space. You can help to take each tiny doll from its box and place them within the guided spaces. There will be plenty of help on hand to show you how to do this. Please bring something to kneel on if you need. Comfortable clothes are recommended. You can participate in this for as long or as little as feels right for you…perhaps you would only like to lay one doll down, or perhaps many. It is entirely up to you.

There is seating and a little café area at one end of the venue and you are free to move around as you choose.

There will be an audio and visual presentation that will be played at intervals during this process.

Once all 12,000 dolls are laid out on the floor, there will be space to walk between and around them all. An opportunity to look at each doll up close as well as seeing them as a whole body of work in their entirety.

1pm Contemplation

Laura Whalen will say a few words about The Bábóg Project and we will then ask for a period of silence for reflection and contemplation.

2pm Dispersal

This is the final part of The Bábóg Project. Just as the dolls arrived to the project from the hands and hearts of individuals, so they will leave the project into the hands and hearts of individuals. You are invited to take one or many dolls away with you. To keep, to mind, to love, to share.

Perhaps you would like to create a small display of them or share them within your community or perhaps you would like to take only one to keep in a special place.

Dolls will be dispersed from one space at a time under the guidance of The Bábóg Project.

The dolls you take must be selected at random.

If you would like to take more than 100 please contact The Bábóg Project before 31 May to arrange this and to let us know your intention with them.

Don’t forget to send us the story and any images you have of what you do with the dolls. We would love to share them on our Facebook page.

4pm Packing up

The dolls that have not been taken on the day will be packed back into the boxes again to be transported back to Courtmacsherry from where they will be further dispersed via post.

5pm Doors close to the public

Everyone is welcome to this event. We ask that children are kept under supervision at all times and no animals are allowed aside from service animals.

All emotions are welcome, but we ask that you remain aware and respectful of those around you. This is a very emotive display about an extremely difficult subject, please bear this in mind when considering attending and do please lean on the supports available as listed on our support page if required.

Please be aware that parts of the day will be filmed and photographed and these images will be shared online. If you are not comfortable with this please take responsibility to stay out of the frame at those times.