A conference on Community Arts, called Creating Change will be held in Kilkenny on Monday, February 9th at Hotel Kilkenny. To be opened by Sile De Valera, the conference will focus on recent community arts initiatives in Kilkenny City and is supported by the Combat Poverty Agency. Further information from the Arts Office, Kilkenny County Council, tel (056) 52699 . . . Also in Kilkenny, beginning tonight in Butler House, Patrick St at 8 p.m., is a series of lectures on History, Memory And Their interpretation, featuring an interesting line-up of speakers, including Roy Foster, Martin Mansergh, Hugh Kearney, John McGahern and Mairin Nic Eoin. Further information from Proinsias O Drisceoil, tel (056) 65103/ 51847 . . .

This column's e-mail address is frontrow@irish-times.ie