History of the Art and Society Learning Programme

The Art and Society learning programme is the next phase of the Learning Development programme offered by Create, Dublin City Council’s exhibition and project space The LAB Gallery and which has, over the years, included third level art institutions such as NCAD, IADT Dun Laoghaire, DIT(TU) and the Tisch School of the Arts (New York University).

History

In 2002, the National College of Art and Design in Thomas St Dublin, initiated the Public Art Placement programme in collaboration with Create. The impetus behind the initiative began with the question – what happens when fine arts students collaborate with communities to produce an artwork? Since then the programme has evolved year upon year becoming the Learning Development Programme. The Learning Development programme – a unique initiative between Create and Dublin City Council’s exhibition and project space The LAB Gallery, and third level art institutions which have included NCAD, IADT Dun Laoghaire, DIT and the Tisch School of the Arts (New York University) – was an experiential learning programme for students and artists engaging in socially engaged collaborative practice. Through the programme students identified organisations, groups and communities who they proposed to work with. Create supported the introductions and seeding of the resulting collaborative relationships. DCC’s The LAB was closely involved in shaping the programme as well as offering access to curatorial expertise. The resulting projects were presented each year at a public event at the LAB.

Recent Programmes

In 2017 Create worked with 3rd year Fine Art Degree students DIT School of Creative Arts Grangegorman, 2nd year Fine Art Sculpture students NCAD, the B.A.V.A on Sherkin Island (DIT) Dun Laoighaire College of Art and Design and a connection with UCD MA Architecture in partnership with the LAB Gallery and supported by Dublin City Council. The 2017 LD progamme focused on Art, Environment and Collaborative Learning, and leading national and international artists contributing to the course included: Dr. Glenn Loughran artist and educator, Dr. Susanne Bosch artist and researcher, Dan Dororcic, Berlin based architectral collective OnOff, Michelle Browne artist, curator and Helen Carey Director of the Fire Station Artists’ Studios.

In 2018 Create, working with The LAB and DIT(TU), IADT and NCAD, offered an important opportunity for emerging artists to connect to our Collaborative Arts Partnership Programme (CAPP) in a significant learning and development initiative as CAPP Fellows. Nominated by their colleges, the four selected CAPP Fellows (Bianca Kennedy and Gemma Browne from DIT(TU); Patricia Donnelly and Eileen Manaliff from NCAD) were third- and fourth-year Fine Art students with a strong interest in collaborative practice.