Little Sparks, an inclusive arts project at Dún Laoghaire Baths

About the Open Call

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is excited to partner with Kildarton Specialised Preschool and Carmona School on this studio project for professional artists. We will support an artist/s to develop their arts practice with children with disabilities from two and a half to seven years of age. The artist/s will receive a monthly fee to support their practice, a materials budget, and a training stipend. We will offer an artist/s access to a studio in dlr Baths from late September 2025 for 12 months. It will give the artist/s the space and time to create their work. We need more inclusive art experiences for children with disabilities in our County. We wish to support artists and children in the County to work together to create, to learn from each other and to explore what is possible. The partners will support the selected artist/s over the year. What does this opportunity offer? Access to a studio in dlr Baths from late September 2025 for 12 months. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will cover the cost of the studio’s rent and utility bills. Opportunity to create and learn with children from two and a half to seven years of age from Kildarton and Carmona School. Support from the partners, including staff support for sessions with children. A monthly fee of €2,000 to help support the artist/s practice. This is the maximum amount available, it will be divided if more than one artist applies to work together. Amaterials budget of €5,000 in total. €1,500 towards the cost of training ormentorship. This is to assist the artist/s to develop their collaborative arts practice and think about how it may impact their work. Who can apply? This opportunity is open to professional artists with a multidisciplinary/visual arts practice. We welcome applications from artist/s with experience in creating art with children andespecially with children with disabilities. We encourage applications from artists who would like to work together. We welcome artists who represent the diversity of Irish society. We encourage applications from all areas of our community regardless of your gender, sexual orientation, civil or family status, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller Community, or socio-economic background. What do we expect? We expect the artist/s to be ready to take up this opportunity in late September 2025. We expect artist/s to make good use of the studio for the year. To create a positive, inclusive and welcoming experience over the year for the children, staff and wider public that are involved. To work with the children in Kildarton and Carmona School in their centres and in dlr Baths during the school year (both will shut for July and August 2026 and during school breaks). We want to support the artist/s to learn and explore with the children and staff, we do not expect that there will an outcome like an exhibition. To offer opportunities for the wider community to engage with the artist/s at key points. We would like the artists/s to chat and let parents and caregivers of the children get involved at least twice over the year. We would like to see inclusive creative experiences for children with disabilities under the age of seven and their families to engage with Cruinniú na nÓg 2026, Coastival 2026, Family Days and so on. About the studio The studio is on the lower ground floor of the dlr Baths building. It has good natural light with large French doors overlooking Dublin Bay and includes the following items: four windows with blinds, overhead skylights, with no blinds, two large sinks, these are at different heights for easy access, a bench for material preparation, storage lockers, tables and chairs, Wi-Fi. 24-hour access. The floor is polished concrete with underfloor heating. It is 42 square metres. The maximum amount of people that the room can hold is 66 people standing or 21 people seated. There is a changing place toilet on the café level of dlr Baths. There is an accessible toilet on the same floor as the studio, this is used by the public. There is a tea station for use by studio artists. There are three other artist studios on the same floor. The Happy Out Café is on the top floor of the building. The artist studios are on the floor below. We advise artists to attend the on-site briefing or drop into the building to consider the noise a busy coffee shop makes. This noise can be heard on the floor below, so may impact your use of the space. Artists are not permitted to live or sleep onsite overnight or invite others into the building outside normal operating times. These times can change with the season, but a guide to these times are: 7am–5pm, Sunday–Wednesday 7am–10pm, Thursday–Saturday Artists must agree to follow the Health and Safety Policy of Dún Laoghaire Baths and work with Council staff, Facility Management Company, and Coffee Shop operator to ensure the safety of artists, building staff and visitors. Council Staff and Facilities Management contractors will have access to your studio to clean and maintain essential equipment. Safeguarding Full Garda Clearance will be required for this residency. It is a legal requirement that everybody working with children, young people and vulnerable people are Garda Vetted. Payments The artist/s will be paid using the County Council’s payroll system. The artist/s will not be employees of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and will be treated as employees only for the purpose of taxation. Standard payroll deductions will apply. Freedom of Information The Freedom of Information Act 2014 applies to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. This Act gives people the right to request information held by public authorities and the right to have personal information held about them corrected or updated where the information is incomplete, incorrect, or misleading. If you feel that any of the information you submit as part of your application is confidential or sensitive, you should let dlr Arts Office know. You must clearly state why you think the information is confidential or commercially sensitive, and why it should not be released as part of a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2014. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Data protection laws mean that your personal data should only be stored where there is a lawful basis, such as your consent, or where there is a legal obligation. Any information you provide for this application will be held for one year from the date you submit it and will only remain in the ownership of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office. We will only use the information you give in your application to administer and manage this opportunity, and selection process (this will include several external panel members who will read/view your application). You may withdraw your consent to the retention of the information relating to your application at any point by sending an email to arts@dlrcoco.ie Insurance We must make sure that any person or company working with us on a project such as this has insurance cover in place. If you are selected for this residency, you will need to have Public Liability Insurance in place up to a limit of €6.5 million. Public Liability Insurance covers your legal liability to pay damages to members of the public for injury, loss, or damages, which occur because of your activities. The insurance policy must indemnify (cover) Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. If you employ another person to work with you, you will also need Employers Liability Insurance to a limit of €13 million (this will only be needed if the person working with you does not have an insurance policy of their own). These are standard insurance policies and several companies in Ireland provide them for artistic activities.

What is Offered

Access to a studio in dlr Baths for 12 months with rent and utility bills covered, opportunity to create and learn with children with disabilities, support from partners including staff, a monthly fee of €2,000, a materials budget of €5,000, and €1,500 towards training or mentorship.

Requirements

Professional artists with a multidisciplinary/visual arts practice. Experience in creating art with children, especially with children with disabilities. Ability to work collaboratively. Full Garda Clearance and Public Liability Insurance (€6.5 million, plus €13 million Employers Liability if applicable) required.

How to Apply

Apply online. Include C.V. (outlining arts experience, especially with children and children with disabilities), a statement of ideas and plans, a budget for resources, examples of previous work (especially collaborations with children), and names/contact details of two referees.