Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office is calling for applications from professional artists for projects which respond to the public forests in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County (DLR). We are interested in proposals which will respond to these forests and have an outcome during National Tree Week in March 2024. This opportunity is for temporary work which is lens and/or audio-based; it is not open to permanent artworks or temporary site-based work.
Introduction
Our forests and woodlands are vital as we face increasing challenges with the climate emergency leading to extreme weather events happening on a more regular basis. The public forests in DLR are Ticknock, Tibradden, Barnaslingan, Carrickgollogan, Kilmashogue and Ballyedmonduff; we invite artists to focus on these. They are all part of the Dublin Mountains Makeover, a long-term project, manged by Coillte Nature. This is to change the forest management focus from commercial forest management to forests where biodiversity and recreation objectives are the priority. Please see additional background information below.
What are we looking for?
We are interested in ideas for projects that will be carried out between mid-December 2023 and mid-March 2024. Artists are invited to observe, explore, and respond to these DLR forests.
There must be an outcome from the project during National Tree Week 2024 which will take place from 19-26 March. Some examples might include:
· an event in one of the forests open to the public, such as a guided sound walk
· an online presentation/outcome
· a screening of film/video-based work
Applications are invited from artists for temporary work in the following artforms:
· Audio-based work (for example, this may include sound art, recordings, sound-walks)
· Lens-based work (for example, this may include film, video, and photography)
Who can apply?
· This opportunity is open to professional artists only
· Individual artists, or a team of two or more artists working together, may apply
If you have any difficulty completing the online application or have an any access needs, please contact us by email arts@dlrcoco.ie or telephone (01) 236 27 59
Please read all the information below carefully before you make your application
We hope to select two projects from this call-out. We reserve the right not to select if none of the proposals received are considered to be suitable by the selection panel.
What budget is available and what does it cover?
The total budget available for each project will be €10,000. Your application must include an outline budget with this information in it:
· A fee for you as the artist(s) and fees for anyone else working with you on the project
· VAT (if this applies)
· All materials and expenses needed to produce the work
· Costs associated with the project outcome*
· Insurance
*DLR Arts Office may allocate an additional budget for event management should the project outcome involve an event in one of the forests. Artists should note that any such event would require prior discussion with, and permission, from Coillte.
Timeline and key dates:
Application process opens end August
Closing Date for receipt of applications: Monday 25 September at 1.00pm
Successful applicants notified: by end October
Project start: by mid-November
Project completion: mid-March 2024
Background information
Our forests and woodlands are vital as we face increasing challenges with the climate emergency leading to extreme weather events happening on a more regular basis. They play an important role in both climate mitigation and climate adaptation. Trees help contribute to cleaner air in cities, provide diverse wildlife habitats, and sequester carbon.[1]
The public forests in DLR are Ticknock, Tibradden, Carrickgollogan, Ballyedmonduff, Kilmashogue, and Barnaslingan; we invite artists to focus on these in particular. They are all part of the Dublin Mountains Makeover, a long-term project, managed by Coillte Nature, to change the use from commercial to recreational forests (watch introduction video here). So far 38 hectares (approximately 92,000 trees) of new native woodland has replaced conifer forests in the Dublin Mountains.
These forests are an incredibly rich source of biodiversity. As part of the Dublin Mountains Makeover, a team of ecologists undertook a Biodiversity Monitoring Project in the nine forests in the Dublin area in 2022 and the first half of 2023. A total of 47 species of bird were recorded across the forests between July-September 2022. Nine species of butterfly and seven species of bat were also identified. Over the winter period, they surveyed species such as badger, pine marten, squirrel (grey and red) and deer.
Trees and forests are also important for our mental health and wellbeing (as evidenced, for example, by the Woodlands for Health initiative) and provide opportunities for rest and relaxation in nature. They are a huge resource for outdoor activities and exercise. Ticknock Forest, for example, is the most visited forest in the country; it had on average over 1,000 visits per day in 2021. The Dublin Mountains Partnership, of which Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Coillte are partners, host free guided walks for the public every month led by the DMP Volunteer Rangers who share their passion and knowledge of the Dublin Mountains.
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 generally 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 managing the process for these projects, including the selection process (this may include several external panel members who will read 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 external person or company working with us on a project such as this has insurance cover in place. If you are selected for a commission, 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) both Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Coillte.
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.
[1] Wilson, S.J., E. Juno, J.R. Pool, S. Ray, M. Phillips, S. Francisco, and S. McCallum. 2022. “Better Forests, Better Cities.” Report. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute. Available online at doi.org/10.46830/wrirpt.19.00013.
Who can apply?
· This opportunity is open to professional artists only
· Individual artists, or a team of two or more artists working together, may apply
How will we select the artists?
Applications will be assessed by a panel which will include members of our team, and individuals with arts practice expertise. The decision of the selection panel will be final.
These criteria will be used to assess each application:
· Quality of your previous work (20/100)
· Quality and creativity of your application and ideas (50/100)
· Suitability of your application to the setting and environment (30/100)
This may include looking at both the medium and themes.
If necessary, the selection panel may contact you to ask for more information about specific details in your application.
We will let you know by email if your application is successful or not.
We welcome applicants who represent the diversity of Irish society. We encourage applications from all areas of the 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.