Awaken The Metropolis

Culture Night Dublin is inviting proposals from professional artists, born in or currently living in Dublin, for Awaken The Metropolis, an artistic response to public spaces in our capital city and the communities therein. Three artist commissions, to the value of €2,000 each, are being supported by Dublin City Council.

The commissions invite professional artists operating in any discipline to propose works that make connections between public spaces and communities in the city. The understanding of the word community is up to the artists’ individual interpretation. 100 years since the publication of Ulysses, the microscopically detailed day-in-the-life of Leopold Bloom, we are reminded of a quote from Joyce:

“I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world. In the particular is contained the universal”.

In the centenary of Joyce’s intricate exploration of the metropolis, urban landscapes and communities around the world awaken from the forced dormancy of the global pandemic. Artists are invited to awaken the previously dormant spaces of Dublin City, exploring the particularities of being both urban and human.

Each work will be presented as part of Culture Night Dublin 2022 on Friday, 23 September.

How to Apply:

Culture Night Dublin invites professional artists to submit applications for consideration for this commission. Applicants must have been born in, or are currently living in Dublin.

We are inviting artists to submit a document, labelled with the name of the artist or artist team, and must include:

– A one-page project proposal outlining: the artists’ statement; ideas and concepts for the project; budget; and timeline. A visual representation may also be included as a separate page.

– A current one-page CV that includes examples of previous work.

Applicants are invited to submit a project proposal that fulfils the following criteria:

– Seeks to connect public spaces with communities in the city

– Can be accessed safely by a diverse audience

– Visually / audibly / sensorially impactful

– Conveys a clear message or narrative

– Proposes new work that has not previously been presented or performed either nationally or internationally

Successful applicants will be expected to deliver the activity as part of Culture Night Dublin’s programme on Friday, 23 September 2022. Commissioned projects will be promoted as part of the Culture Night Dublin and national Culture Night 2022 programmes. Successful applicants will also act as Ambassadors for the Culture Night Dublin campaign.

Each proposal must be deliverable within Dublin City, and adhere with Health and Safety, as well as COVID-19 guidelines, if applicable. Each work should ideally be presented in-person with online adaptations reserved for the possibility of presenting work under increased levels of restrictions.

The total inclusive budget of €2,000 should include:

– Artist’s fees

– Any other professional service fees

– Materials and fabrication

– Transportation

– Travel

– Accommodation

– VAT

In the areas of production and tech, Culture Night Dublin will work with the selected artists to ensure all projects are presented to the public in accordance with relevant Health & Safety and public health guidelines. More information about insurance for artists can be found here.

Successful projects will be made available to Dublin City Council and funding partners for sharing on websites/social media thereafter and for archival purposes.

Applications are to be submitted to info@culturenightdublin.ie by 5pm on Friday, 22 July. Queries relating to the call-out can also be directed to this email address.

Please Note: Culture Night Dublin does not provide feedback on individual applications.