Call for Visual Artists
Project Description
Fingal County Council is inviting expressions of interest from visual artists who are interested in working in partnership with Fingal Arts Office, and Tyrrelstown Educate Together National School in Dublin 15, to establish a student-run art studio in the primary school where the process of art making, creative thinking, research, discovery and reflection is housed within.
The project is informed by the renowned arts education project Room 13 which began in Fort William, UK, and now exists in schools throughout the world. Room 13 is a student-run art studio with an artist-in-residence and a student management committee. The development of pupils’ entrepreneur and enterprise skills is an important element of the programme.
The studio environment encourages collaboration, communication and exploration. The Artist’s role is to act as mentor and offer guidance to the line of enquiry lead by the children.
A work space within the studio will be dedicated to the Artist for their own personal practice. The Artist can work in this space at times they are not scheduled to facilitate sessions.
The Artist will be expected to deliver weekly art sessions with students in the studio. It is the partnerships intention to offer interested parents and teachers the opportunity to engage with activity within the studio space during the academic year.
The project encourages site visits to cultural places of interest, and the budget will allow for the partnership to invite other creative professionals to visit throughout the academic year.
The project has a long term goal to embed the arts in the participating school(s) through various interconnected activities supported by Fingal Arts Office, the School and professional Artists. It is our intention to document and record the activity within the classroom studio and the Artist is expected to contribute to this.
School Profile
Tyrrelstown Educate Together National School consists of twenty-four mainstream classes from infants to sixth class and two special needs units. The Educate Together Schools have a distinct ethos of being multi-denominational, co-educational, child centred, and democratically run. Visitors will find the school community very welcoming and enthusiastic.
Duration
The project will begin in November 2014.
The artist will be required to be present in the studio for a minimum of two days per week November 2014 – June 2015 period. The Artist is invited to use the shared studio for the development of their work.
The school has committed to providing a suitable classroom as a dedicated studio space for a three year period.
Fingal Arts Office has committed to funding activity within the studio for a three year period.
Fingal Arts Office will support the establishment of a studio project in two Fingal primary schools in 2014 and would like to extend this to more schools thereafter. No two projects will be the same. Site specificity is key to the success of individual projects. We are interested in working with artists to develop innovative models of practice.
Partners
The Artist will be required to collaborate with Fingal County Council Arts Office, Draíocht, Artist Orla Kelly, and the participating school.
Budget
The Artist’s fee will be paid by Fingal County Council Arts Office. The artist’s fee for facilitating sessions with the children from November 2014 – June 2015 stands at €8,700 (€50 per facilitation hour, six facilitation hours per week is expected, 8 weeks Nov-Dec, 21 weeks Jan-June. In addition to this a small budget will be provided to support the artist attend planning and evaluation meetings with the project partners).
There is an additional budget for the artist to deliver parents’ ‘welcome workshops’ and ‘teacher clinics’ to share the studio with others.
Materials costs will be provided by the project partnership.
Nonmonetary supports are available through Fingal Arts Office and the partnership.
Eligibility and Requirements
This opportunity is open to professional and emerging individual artists both nationally and internationally, who have experience of working in youth and education settings. Garda vetting will be required if selected.
Essential
- A qualification in fine art, visual arts practice, youth arts, arts in the community, visual communications or other where appropriate.
- Substantial experience of working with children aged 4-12 years in a visual arts and community context.
- Excellent communication skills.
Preferable
- Completed Child Protection, Keep Safe Training or equivalent.
- Experience of participating in long term projects
How to apply
- Email submission only.
- Complete the application form and submit by email to Fingal Arts Office by 4pm Tuesday 21st of October 2014.
- Support material should be kept to a minimum, and only show work relevant to that stated above. Assessors will not view more than four images per applicant. Images should be supplied in one PDF file.
- Visit www.fingalarts.ie for further information and application form
Deadline for expressions of interest: 4pm Tuesday 21st of October 2014.
Applicants will be shortlisted and invited to interview in Fingal County Council, Grove Road Blanchardstown the week commencing November 3rd. Please note applicants must be available for interview.
All applications should be sent to Julie Clarke, Youth & Education Officer, Fingal Arts Office, E: julie.clarke@fingal.ie
