Public Arts Programme 2024

Introduction

2024 saw Kilkenny County Council embark on a new phase in its public art programme and put out a call for a series of commissions to commence in 2024 / 2025. The focus of these commissions will be on collaborations with communities in County Kilkenny. We sought up to five artist-led projects which should seek to challenge, engage and innovate, through meaningful dialogue, research and engagement with communities. Kilkenny County Council accepted proposals from any recognised art form, from individuals or teams, who seek to devise and complete new work, developed in a collaborative setting. We sought compelling, ambitious proposals from artists; which will meet, challenge and expand our ideas of public art.

In initial conversations with representatives of various communities, a number of themes arose, which also link into the focus of the dynamic work the County Council does within community settings in the county:

Ecology and sustainability
The significance of the rivers and waterways
History, heritage, folklore and memory
Home – homelessness
New communities, tradition, inclusion and diversity
Sport – tradition, inclusion and diversity
Architecture and architectural / built heritage / Ecclesiastical buildings
Prominent Kilkenny historical figures
Heritage traces on the landscape
Rural life and farming.
Traditional and Traveler skills
Women and power

These broad themes and ideas are suggestions and starting points and are not intended to be prescriptive. As part of each commission we would like to see a period of time given over to research and development of the project.

We were also open to artists proposing ideas on themes outside of those listed above.

Kilkenny has a rich and colourful history, vibrant and changing communities throughout the County and a natural environment enjoyed by all citizens. It is imperative that communities benefit from their encounters with artists and the experience of contributing to ambitious and expansive public arts projects.

Objectives

To provide artists across all disciplines with meaningful opportunities to develop new work that reflect their ambition and ideas.
To facilitate meaningful encounters, dialogue and connections between artists and communities in Kilkenny.
To place ambition and innovation in public art practice at the forefront of these commissions.
To listen and provide legacy opportunities for the communities involved in the public art commissions.
To investigate, probe and consider community experiences through public art opportunities.

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