Project Arts Centre Programming Policy
Since 1966, Project Arts Centre has been a catalyst for radical artistic projects. We work with some of the most exciting artists making work today, both nationally and internationally… We make space for artists to experiment, test and build something new at our home in the centre of Dublin and on tour on the island of Ireland and across the world. We present a year-round programme with a rich variety of contemporary theatre, dance and visual arts work which aims to connect with audiences in a variety of ways. The work in our programme doesn’t look away from the urgencies of today and emerging experimental and cross disciplinary practices are prioritised. We place the artist and audience at the centre of our programming and will work with artists/companies to ensure their work reaches the appropriate audience.
Cian O’Brien is Artistic Director and has overall responsibility for Project’s programming but is specifically responsible for programming the performing arts. Sara Greavu is Curator of Visual Arts and has responsibility for delivering Project’s visual arts programme.
Project’s programme is curated, which means we will continue to invite artists to participate in our various programme strands. We will generally make these approaches to artists who already have a relationship with Project, or whose work we have been engaged with over time. However, this is not the only way to engage with Project as an artist.
We do offer open calls for various opportunities, and these will always be advertised on our website and social media channels. All open calls will clearly articulate the process for application and the criteria for the opportunity, and all financial details.
The best way to start a relationship with Project is to invite us to see your work, whether in studio, live or online. We try to see as much new work as possible and connect with artists and communities. Our programme is informed by our research and work we see; however, it is not always possible for us to see everything we are invited to. Before contacting us, we invite you to consider whether your work fits within our programme and why you would like to partner with Project.
Woven through all our programming work are the commitments we have made in our policy Towards Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. The reason we are working towards diversity is not to tick boxes and do ‘favours’ for those who, historically, have been excluded – but because we genuinely want to think about how the inclusion of diverse voices/viewpoints changes the way we see the world. We recognise that we benefit from this inclusion as much as we are ‘giving’ something to others.
While there are things we get right, there is always room to improve, to recalibrate, to learn.
Visual Arts Programme
There are five strands of activity in which artists’ involvement with Project Visual Arts takes place:
Exhibitions – our programme includes 5 major exhibitions per year, both group and solo projects.
Public Programmes – a programme that may include discursive events, talks, workshops, performances and more; both standalone public programmes and those related to the exhibition programme.
Research – supporting artists and thinkers to undertake new research.
Public Moments – a programme of events that may use the gallery as a project space to test ideas for very short-term presentations of work.
Publishing – a publishing platform, interwoven with the other strands of activity, to bring new work and new ideas into print.
The gallery programme is curated, and exhibitions are organised around a loose thematic trajectory, with the programme being developed by the Curator of Visual Arts, reporting to the Artistic and Executive Directors, the Board of Directors and Project Artists. The programme is developed in collaboration with artists and is based on artistic quality, challenge and risk, conceptual relevance, and consciousness. It is programmed with reference to the local and national arts ecosystem, engagement with current ideas and discourse, institutional partnerships and Project’s capacity to support and produce proposed projects. Annual exhibition plans are put in place up to five years in advance, with the main planning and production taking place between 12 and 18 months in advance.
Because of this, the gallery is not available for rent for exhibitions.
Have a look at our recent programme and see if you think your work fits. We seldom programme from unsolicited proposals but we are interested in seeing what you’re up to and learning about your practice. Feel free to let us know about your work or if you have upcoming exhibitions or events. To contact us
Performance Programme
Project’s performance programme is year-round. Project is a venue for the three main Dublin Festivals (Dance, Fringe, Theatre) in addition to hosting several smaller scale festivals throughout the year including Live Collision, Music Current. For programming in those festivals, please contact them directly.
Outside our festivals programme, Project’s own programme has three main strands:
Hosted programme – this is where artists/companies rent the Space Upstairs or Cube space for the presentation of work. Priority is given to new work which meets our artistic priorities. Generally, artists/companies applying to the Arts Council for larger Project Awards or Arts Grant Funding will be encouraged to join this strand of our programme.
Commissions Programme – this is where Project may invest in the development or production of a piece of new work by an artist/company based in Ireland or abroad. We generally will do this as a partner and the size of the commission depends on the scale of the work. Project will generally offer no more than three commissions/year.
Presented Programme – this is where Project will pay a guarantee (performance fee) for the presentation of a work by an artist/company. This strand of our programme is a priority for Project and in the coming years our focus will be on international artists, emerging contemporary practices and cross-disciplinary & collaborative approaches to the creation of new work. Artists/Companies who are earlier in their career, applying for smaller-scale project awards, contemporary dance artists or artists working in more experimental practice will be encouraged to join this strand of our programme.
We do not develop new plays and do not accept unsolicited scripts. We do not accept programme applications from amateur performing arts companies or stage schools. Artists/Companies wishing to present productions of existing/classic/canonical texts will be considered on a case-by-case basis but are not a priority for our programme. For our music programme, we will generally work with specific promoters who understand Project’s spaces and the contemporary nature of Project’s programming, including those who wish to reach new audiences.
The curatorial team at Project does research throughout the year: we attend shows, events, exhibitions, and visit studios and rehearsals to see new work and connect with artists. The programme is informed by this research, and we seldom invest in a project on the strength of a proposal alone.
If you would like to have a conversation about working together, you can invite us to see your work. Consider how your work fits with our artistic programme and why you want to work with us.
To contact the Curator of Visual Arts, Sara Greavu, email sara@projectartscentre.ie
To contact the Artistic Director, Cian O’Brien, email cian@projectartscentre.ie
Your email/video/voice-note should include the following information (where relevant):
- Phone
- What are you contacting us about?
- Programming
- Invitation to see your work
- Information about your project/work and why you would like to work with us. Make sure to consider how your work fits with our artistic programme.
If you’re inviting us to something, please include / proposed dates, times and ticketing information (if relevant).
Project has an exciting access and engagement programme, Project Potential; For more information, please click here.
If you wish to speak to us about commercial hire of our spaces for events, please click here.