Seeking a community artist/creative writer to facilitate an upcoming project Childhood Restored

Childhood Restored: A celebration of primary school children in the NEIC 

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all in society but has been particularly devastating for children and young people, who suddenly had their educational and social outlets removed, resulting in disconnection from family, friends and their local community. This has and will continue to have long-lasting effects on their wellbeing and mental health. The Early Learning Initiative (ELI) is an organisation based in the National College of Ireland that aims to address educational disadvantage within Dublin’s Docklands through a range of educational outreach programmes. The NEIC is a government initiative that was set up in 2016 to oversee the long-term regeneration of north-east inner city Dublin, an area of approximately 20,000 people.  

Childhood Restored is a community arts project that aims to provide primary school-age children in North-East Inner-City schools with a space to express their feelings around the pandemic and the effect it has on them, in a safe way through art and creative writing, amid our emergence back into society. This project has been generously funded by the NEIC and will be undertaken by the ELI from March – June 2022. Childhood Restored builds on the Restorative Practices (RP) work already taking place in the NEIC to help to reconnect primary school children and their families with each other and re-establish a sense of community.   

Children in participating schools will participate in a series of workshops to create both artwork and stories inspired by their individual and collective experiences during the pandemic. This work will be exhibited at a community event in NCI in June 2022, and exhibition materials will be archived and loaned to local community groups to exhibit. A custom-made book of art and stories will also be designed, creating a historical record of the experience of primary school children in the NEIC during the pandemic.  

ELI is currently inviting applications from suitably qualified Artist specializing in socially-engaged art to facilitate art and story-writing workshops with children in North-East Inner City primary schools.  that aims to give them a space to express their feelings around the Covid-19 pandemic and how it has affected them. This is an opportunity for artists to situate work in the public realm, within the NEIC community. The successful artist will be trained in Restorative Practices in order to fully embed RP into the project. 

Time frame with key dates: 

Deadline for applications  

Wed 16th March, COB 

E-vetting for artist and training 

Early April 

Workshop facilitation in schools 

April 25th - May 6th 

Preparation of artwork/stories for exhibition/publication 

w/o May 9th 

Design of Book and Framing of Artwork 

Late May/Early June 

Exhibition in NCI 

w/o June 13th 

Artists’ Fees 

It is envisaged that artists will complete at least two workshops in at least 3 participating schools within North East Inner City Dublin over the course of a two-week period in April 2022. Additionally, artists will be paid for preparatory work completed, as necessary to the project and agreed in advance with ELI. Artists will be paid a rate of €150 per hour for workshop facilitation and preparation/post-programme work. Exact number of hours will depend on how many schools sign up to participate in the project, but artists will be paid for a minimum of 10 hours work. Artists will also be asked to complete 4-6 hours of training as part of the project and will be reimbursed for these hours at a lower rate. 

Selection Criteria 

·       Applicants must have experience working on community arts projects. Experience working in schools is a particular advantage.  

·       Artists must have experience working through various media. Experience working with/through creative writing or poetry is an advantage.  

·       Applicants must be available to be on-site in participating schools to facilitate workshops during the period of April 25th – 13th May 2022 

·       Applicants must agree to work within the allocated budget  

·       Artists must agree to be E-vetted by the ELI and complete Tusla Child Protection Training and ELI Restorative Practice Training 

·       Applicants must submit the following by COB Wednesday March 16th:  

A. Artists’ CV (including all contact details) 

B. Sample of previous work: Please provide a hyperlink to 1-2 examples of previous work that is relevant to this application.  

Proposals should be submitted by email to eli@ncirl.ie by close of business Wednesday 16th March with the subject heading “Childhood Restored”. For more information on the project, please contact Rhonda Hill via the email address provided above.  

Early Learning Initiative: www.ncirl.ie/ELI  

NEIC: www.neic.ie