Artists could share resources at Art Collectives
Unique spaces would help artists work together
Calls have been made to create an art collective in Lucan as part of the region’s new Arts Strategy, set to be published later this year.
Artist collectives are unique spaces where artists can share resources, collaborate, and work together toward common goals.
South Dublin County Council’s Arts Office will engage with artists in the area, including in Lucan, to examine their requirements regarding workspaces and infrastructure, networking, and support requirements.
Councillor Joanna Tuffy noted that other councils, such as Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, have artist groups connected to them and encouraged the local authority to develop that connection as soon as possible.
Cllr Tuffy said: “It hasn’t happened before so I wouldn’t be kind of saying, ‘well wait until such and such.
“If there’s a mood and an appetite for it now, then we should facilitate that and we shouldn’t put any obstacles in its way.”
The councillor noted that Lucan House is set to become another arts facility in the area following the completion of its proposed renovation.
She added that she felt it was important that work to establish a collective be started as soon as possible as a result of this.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown have had success with the establishment of an artist group in the past.
ArtNetDLR is a voluntary group of professional artists of every discipline, connected to Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown, working with the support of the Arts Office of the local council in that region.
Open mics, workshops and solo and group exhibitions are among the activities that are facilitated by the collective, established in 2014.
Membership to the artist collective is open to all professional artists who were born, live, work or studied in the DLR area, providing an annual Professional Practice programme of events running from September to May each year.
SDCC noted that there are significant considerations to be weighed up regarding the creation of a collective and suggested “an informal network may be best suited for the area to allow artists to connect and share ideas.”
These include business model/structure, governance, financial management, and the collective’s vision and mission.
The council stated that its arts office is committed to facilitating networking and engagement in the county to encourage wider participation and make it easier for artists to engage in ways that suit them.
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