Create

Create provides support and advice to artists across all art forms to work collaboratively with communities of place and/or interest to realise contemporary arts projects.

The organisation was founded in 1983. It realigned its focus in 2003 to specifically support artists who work in social and community contexts to realise contemporary arts projects.
As a national organisation our programming and support services to artists and neighbourhoods includes both urban and rural contexts. Create programmes talks, debates and symposia in order that the specifics of place as context and meaning can be debated and contested.
Create is grant assisted by the Arts Council of Ireland as a Regularly Funded Organisation. The level of funding awarded is determined annually. In 2010 Create received 250,000 Euros.
The organisation consists of three arenas of work: project support and professional development; research and learning and development and projects and initiatives.

Executive Staff
Director, Asst Director, Head of Project Support and Professional Development; Head of Research and Learning and Development; Communications and 2 part time staff – Administration and Reading Room; and Administration and Associate Network.

Create manages the Arts Council Artist in the Community Scheme – which provides awards to artists proposing work in social and community contexts.
Research and Development Awards are made by artists, with supporting documentation from a ‘named’ community.
Project Realisation Awards are made by communities, with supporting documentation from the named artist.
All other areas of Create’s programming – for example Continuing Professional Development Workshops; Symposia, Mentoring Programmes and Projects and Initiatives – are developed in partnership with other arts agencies (national and international). These programming areas are developed to either provide practice and skills development opportunities for artists or to provide opportunities for artists to work in residence. The commissions (themes and decisions) are led by Create and the relevant partners). Funding for all commissions are secured through application to trusts and foundations, government agencies, etc – consequently the themes for potential commissions is in line with the funding agency/body. In this regards Create’s role is to expand an understanding with the funder to agree funding and provide an opportunity for an artist to self initiate within a framework/criteria.

For Create’s Learning Development programme, undergraduate art students can propose a community context and work plan. The relationship with a local ‘community’ is supported by Create and Create assists the artist in a creative producing /mentoring role.
The Artist in the Community Scheme award recipients is decided by a panel. The panel changes each round (2 rounds per year). The panel meeting is chaired by Create and the panel is appointed by Create. Create cannot veto any decisions made by the panel.
There is a jury, which consists of the panel members – minimum of three are individual artists and /or arts administrators and local authority arts officers. The decision of the jury is final.
Per year approximately 6 projects are realised. All projects are temporary – permanent sculptural pieces are seldom selected by the panel.