Creating a Sustainable Global Society is one of the four  strategic themes underpinning UCD’s 2020-2024 Strategy. The theme addresses critical global and local challenges relating to biodiversity, climate, water, food, the built environment, communities and work. 

UCD Parity Studios are delighted to announce the 2021-2022 residency which aims to address one or more of these challenges, supported in partnership with UCD Earth Institute and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

The Earth Institute is UCD’s institute for environmental and sustainability research. The Institute comprises a community of over 130 senior academics and 200 early career researchers drawn from across the University’s six constituent Colleges, and seeks to promote interdisciplinary activity across the sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, engineering and architecture. Areas of multidisciplinary expertise include biodiversity, climate, ecosystems, water, the built environment and sustainable communities.

Since 1994 Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has taken great pride in developing and supporting the Arts. The Council views the arts as an important service that contributes to the quality of life for those who live in, work in and visit the County. DLR are extremely proud of our reputation as a supportive home for the arts and believe in their intrinsic value and the vital contribution that they make to the wellbeing and quality of life of the County. Over the last 27 years the Council’s Arts Office has commissioned and produced an exciting range of festivals, exhibitions, artist residencies, schools projects, arts and health initiatives and public art programmes in order to grow and sustain local arts development.

Proposals are welcome from visual artists, working in any medium who wish to transform connection and awareness into climate action and behaviour change on environmental and sustainability issues in Ireland.

For more information visit

UCD Earth Institute

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Arts Office

 What we offer

• Artist's fee of €10,000 (this fee is paid through UCD payroll with PRSI and tax deducted at source)
• Desk space at UCD Earth Institute*
• cross-disciplinary peer support through monthly artists in residence process meetings.
• access to UCD library, lectures and other university resources.
• Research support through the extensive network of UCD Earth Institute academics and researchers and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
  
  * Due to building refurbishments studio space is currently unavailable at UCD

What is Expected of the Artist

• be proactive in making connections with UCD researchers. While formal introductions to relevant researchers are made, many fruitful conversations occur through chance meetings on the corridor or during coffee breaks, so being on campus is an important factor in the process.
• prepare a 20min talk for the purposes of introduction to your proposal.
• use the residency facilities to develop your work on average two days a week, over the course of the year.
• share the process of your residency and resulting work through UCD social media platforms
• participate in the monthly artists in residence process meetings.
• credit UCD and DLR partners as described in the terms of agreement between artist and UCD Parity Studios

To apply: 

Please submit your proposal as a single pdf in the following format:

[Your Name] UCD Earth Institute in partnership with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

Email to parity.studios@ucd.ie

Closing date: July 11, 2021

Shortlisted artists must be available for online interview on July 19

Please include the following information in this order:

1.Name

2.Address

3.Phone

4.Email

5.Website (if you have one)

6. Tell us about yourself

Briefly describe who you are and outline your most recent artistic achievements.

(*Max 100 words) 

7. Your process

Briefly describe the approaches you take in developing your work, what materials you use and how you disseminate your work.
(*Max 200 words)

8. Your proposal

Why do you want to undertake a residency at UCD Earth Institute in particular?

Description of your proposed project including the area of environmental sustainability you’re interested in and what aspect of behavioural change your proposal addresses.

(*Max 300 words)

9. Existing Commitments

Please specify commitments you have to other work, residencies, exhibitions/performances, conferences, research/education in 2021/2022.

10. Examples of previous work

Examples of work - Up to 10 examples of your work with one image per page. Please label each image clearly with title, dimensions, materials, gallery/site of installation /performance, date.

List of images/work

Links to video/sound pieces (Max 3 minutes for each piece. For longer works please indicate which 3 minutes you want the panel to consider) 

UCD Parity Studios will confirm receipt of your application by e-mail.

The residency will commence in September/October 2021 with a date agreed in consultation with the awarded artist.