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Turley collaborates with Dublin City Council and its Arts Office to plan “Creative Campus” for artists and local residents

Turley’s first collaboration with Dublin City Council and its Arts Office begins with consultation on the feasibility of ambitious plans to bring forward a “creative campus” in the heart of the Liberties area of Dublin 8.

Our Strategic Communications team are working with Dublin City Council on this ambitious culture-led regeneration. The proposals are part of an Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) regeneration project that aims to deliver new workspace for artists within the city. In total three initial council owned sites have been identified, at Bridgefoot Street and at 8 and 9 Merchants Quay. A feasibility study hopes to assess how these sites could be transformed, developed and regenerated as workspace accommodation for artists across a broad range of art forms.

We have developed the extensive ‘user-led co-design process’, alongside Urban Scale Interventions and project architects OBFA. Responding to COVID-19 restrictions, the team moved all engagement online, using demographic and geographic targeting to reach key groups, resulting in an unprecedented level of engagement with the cultural and arts sector. Baseline research carried out during the summer engaged more than 500+ artists, over 20% of resident artists in the city, online about workspace needs. Feedback received informed seven design principles which were established for the development.

The vision of the project is to jointly develop the sites and properties, and partnering with existing organisations in Dublin 8, such as the existing NCAD site, to form a campus for the arts and cultural sector that will also deliver new community facilities and public spaces.

Richard Shakespeare, from Dublin City Council explained:

“This is an early feasibility study funded by the URDF, but at its heart is a compact regeneration project focused on the Liberties area of the city. It could deliver a vibrant culture-led renewal built on delivering new workspace accommodation for the arts sector, alongside community assets that benefit the local area and wider public, and leveraging existing links and arts infrastructure in the area. If feasible Dublin City Council will be promoting the Liberties Creative Campus for further URDF funding to deliver on these plans.”

The creation of a €11 million campus on Bridgefoot St could result in an economic benefit to the region in excess of approximately €30 million over a ten year timeframe and an annual approximate economic impact of over €2million per annum, growing year on year. Meanwhile the sites on 8 and 9 Merchants Quay may receive an investment of up to €8 million.

It is hoped that in addition to delivering much needed artist workspace, the campus could provide a new model for artistic and creative collaboration following an extensive user led co-design process with the arts sector and local community.

Ray Yeates from Dublin City Council’s Arts Office explained:

“For a number of years, artists across the sector have voiced a need for high quality and appropriate workspace, where they can create and collaborate on their work in a secure, affordable and vibrant environment. Earlier this year we undertook research, reaching out to the sector to help us establish principles for any new development – focused on building and space design, but also addressing wider issues such as artform mix, support services, public outreach and interactions, and governance models.

“Our research shows that almost 41% of artists who responded were currently seeking workspace, with no current alternatives and a further 10% working from home. It is a situation that may increase without future investment in COVID secure and sustainable artist workspaces.

“Today we have published the findings report and seven design principles that we will apply to these three new sites, and in consultation with the arts sector and local community co-design our Liberties Creative Campus plans. We have engaged a team of experts to look at cultural-led urban regeneration models here in Ireland and across Europe. We hope the sector will continue their positive and constructive involvement and urge the wider community to get involved by participating in this upcoming round of consultation.”

A series of public and community focused online workshops are planned during November to refine design proposals and define the social value criteria of the emerging proposals. More information is available here. The work will inform a feasibility study which will seek further support from the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund to deliver the project. The feasibility team includes our Strategic Communications team, MCO, Maus Management, O’BFA Architects, Hardy Partnership, PFK-FMP Accounts.

9 November 2020