dlr Arts Office in partnership with Blackrock Education Centre wish to engage six artists for the 2025/26 Primary Arts Programme. The programme supports children, artists and teachers to create, explore and encourages creative, process-based play in the classroom.
We are open to applications from artists from all artforms.
About the programme
We are proud of dlr Primary Arts Programme; it is one of the oldest artists in schools’ programmes in the Country. It began in 1994 and has supported thousands of primary school children and their teachers. Working with primary schools is one of the best ways that we can support children to get access to the arts as it happens during school hours, so all children get to take part.
- The programme will run during the academic year (October 2025-May 2026).
- Schools apply to take part in the programme. Six classes will be chosen.
- Six artists are matched with six different teachers and their classes.
- We will fund 24 hours for the artist to work with the children and teachers in the classroom.
- We will pay artists for their time to plan with the teacher outside of the classroom.
- We will fund time for the artists research and time to input into the dlr Primary Arts Blog.
- There will be three meetings with the artists and teachers during the programme in Blackrock Education Centre.
What will artists be paid?
Each artist that works on this programme will be paid the following:
- €1,528 for 24 contact hours in the classroom with the children.
- €550 for research/preparation
- €300 for time to feed into the blog.
- €275 for five meetings to plan with the class teacher outside of the classroom.
- €100 for each meeting they attend in Blackrock Education Centre.
The dates for these meetings will be:
Tuesday, 21 October 2025, 4-6pm – introductory session
Tuesday, 20 January 2026, 4-6pm –mid project session
Tuesday, 12 May 2026, 4-6pm – evaluation session
What do we expect from the artists selected?
- To create a positive, inclusive and process-based arts experience with the children and teacher in the classroom.
- To give the children and teacher lots of opportunities to explore and learn.
- To not worry about a final output or product. This programme is about experiencing creativity and the processes involved.
- To share what happens in the classroom on the dlr Primary Arts Blog for the wider school community to enjoy.
Who can apply?
- This opportunity is open to professional artists
- Artists must have with experience working with children in the classroom.
- We welcome applications from artists with experience in creating art with children with disabilities.
- We encourage any artist who can facilitate in the Irish language to let us know as we will have applications from Gaelscoileanna.
- 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.
How do I apply?
Apply online here, if you have access needs please contact us.
If you have any questions about the call out or need more information, contact Máire in the Arts Office.
- The deadline for questions is 1pm, Friday 8 August.
- The deadline for applications is 1pm, Monday 8 September.
- Your application can include written documents, video, or audio files.
What do I need to apply?
You will need to include the information listed below.
- C.V. Please outline your arts experience, please include examples of creating art with children in the classroom. If you have experience working with children with disabilities or can facilitate through the Irish language, please make sure that this is on your C.V.
- A statement to give us a sense of why you want to work on this programme. We would like to get a sense of what the children and teachers may expect to experience by working with you. Please mention what medium/artform(s) you plan to work in. Please tell us if you prefer to work with a particular class group (for example do you prefer to work with Junior Infants or Sixth Class children).
- Examples of previous work. We would like to understand more about your work. You can help us by adding photographs, audio files, written texts or other examples that help us get a sense of your work. Please include examples of work with children in the school environment.
- The name and contact details of two referees. Please make sure that one of these people has worked with you on a similar project.
How will we select the artists?
We will assess the applications with a panel which will include representatives from dlr Arts Office and an artist that has experience working with children in primary schools. The decision of this selection panel will be final. The applications will be marked based on the scoring system outlined below.
The minimum qualifying mark is 80. This means that any application which scores under 80 will not be eligible for selection.
If none of the applications we receive reach the minimum 80 marks, we will not choose from this open call. We will then use a different selection process instead.
We will select six applications. We may form a panel from the applications if any also score over 80 marks. We may use this panel for further projects if more funding becomes available within a one-year timeline.
This is the scoring system we will use to assess your application:
The previous experience of the artist/s working in the school setting with children 40/100
The selection panel will mark by assessing your C.V and examples of previous work.
Quality 40/100
The selection panel will mark by assessing your C.V, statement and examples of previous work.
Evidence of creating art with children with disabilities 20/100
The selection panel will mark by assessing your C.V and examples of previous work.
We will let you know by email if your application is successful or not.
We will not accept applications that are late.
We will not accept applications that do not have everything we have asked for.
Safeguarding
Full Garda Clearance will be required for this programme. 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 Finance System. The artist/s will submit invoices for payment.
Under this open call we may use our right to renew the selected artists for this programme for the 2026/27 academic year only.
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