Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in partnership with the Office of Public Works (OPW) is seeking expressions of interest from professional curators who are interested in engaging with older peoplefrom Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County to collaboratively curate an exhibition programme for the new Municipal Gallery at dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire. 

We are looking for a curator who is experienced in working collaboratively, flexible in their approach and responsive to the needs of the participants.

Project outline

Older People were identified as a priority demographic through the consultation process for “Continuing the Conversation” dlr’s Arts Development Policy 2011-2014. With this in mind the project partners wish to engage a curator to collaborate with a newly formed group of older people from the county who wish to curate a show from the collection of the OPW in 2015 for the Municipal Gallery at dlr LexIcon.

The project partners envisage that the curator will collaborate with the group from February – May 2015 to develop an exhibition of artworks from the OPW’s collection for November 2015. We anticipate a public engagement series of talks and workshops as well as a celebratory event at the end of the project for all involved in dlr LexIcon. The project partners require the successful applicant to keep a record of the project as it develops, for public dissemination.

The budget assigned for the curator to this project is €3,415, and this includes meetings with the group, meetings with the project partners and any other project fees as per breakdown below. Please note that the project budget is VAT inclusive. The appointed curator will be required to have Public Liability Insurance with cover of €6.5 million.

The exhibition will be project-managed by the Arts Office of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. The Arts Office in consultation with the OPW will be responsible for the installation, promotion and management of the exhibition.

10 x 2hr sessions with the group: €1,000

6 x meetings (with project partners): €40 x 6: €240

2 day co-curation of artworks during installation of the exhibition: €175 x 2: €350

7 x curation days (to include feeding into print material, assisting with public engagement programme): €175 x 7: €1,22

Research: €600

Total: €3,415

Please apply in writing and include 3 hard copies of each of the following (email applications will not be accepted)

Curriculum Vitae with relevant experience clearly outlined

An expression of interest clearly stating why you have applied and the relevance of the opportunity to your work to date. This proposal also needs to state your approach to the project and participants. (2 A4 pages max)

Two written references (related to collaborative practice and curatorial experience

Supplementary information that will support the application, for example short description of relevant previous projects and photographs/audio or visual documentation*

* Please note that supplementary information will not be returned to applicant (applicants should ensure that they do not send any unique or irreplaceable material).

Guidelines:

• Selection will be based on the written proposal, references and any additional supplementary material supplied.

• Applicants may be called to an interview if deemed necessary by the selection panel.

• Applications received after 12 noon on Monday 24th November will not be accepted under any circumstances.

• Emailed applications will be deemed ineligible.

• Applications that do not include 3 hard copies as requested will

  be considered ineligible.

• The successful candidate may be required to complete Garda

  Vetting if engaging with persons that are deemed vulnerable under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2013

  Please note that the successful applicant will be required to have Public Liability Insurance with cover of €6.5 million. Non-Vat registered service providers may be liable for Professional Services Withholding Tax. The successful applicant may be required to provide Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council with a tax clearance certificate prior to signing of contracts.

• Freedom of Information

  The provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1997-2003 apply to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the OPW. Applicants should state if any of the information supplied by them is confidential or sensitive and should not be disclosed in response to a request for information under the aforementioned Act. Applicants should state why they consider the information to be confidential or commercially sensitive.

Support from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Arts Office will act as the liaison support between the successful applicant and the local community groups in the start-up stage of the project and if further support is required during the lifetime of the project.

Role of the OPW

The Office of Public Works (OPW) manages the State Art Collection which is located in hundreds of properties nationwide. There are over 15,500 artworks and decorative objects in the Collection, ranging from 17th century portraits to works created by graduates in recent years. The Collection is on display in many types of public space - Government offices, garda stations, courthouses and heritage properties. There is a wide variety of artistic media in the Collection including paintings, original prints, sculpture, and photographs. The majority of the contemporary artworks in the Collection were acquired through the Per Cent for Art Scheme which OPW continues to support in its capital projects. OPW is keen to engage in collaborations with other organisations to bring the State Art Collection to wider audiences. For more information on OPW see www.opw.ie

All queries to: rogrady@dlrcoco.ie or (01) 271 9530
(Site visits to the gallery space may be facilitated on request)

Applications to be posted to:

Róisín O’Grady

Participation and Learning Assistant,

The Arts Office,

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council,

Marine Road,

Dún Laoghaire,

Co. Dublin.

Deadline for applications is Monday 24th November 2014 at 12 noon

* Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council reserves the right to extend the engagement of the selected curator. The Council also reserves the right to pursue a different selection process if applications are deemed unsuitable.

All opportunities are subject to funding received.