Art & Research Collaboration - ARC

ARC is open to artists, critics, curators and those working with art in other roles. Current students and graduates have developed projects connecting art with archaeology, architecture, craft, design, education, engineering, fashion, film, history, geography, geology, philosophy, psychology, publishing, science and theatre. Modules are taught off-campus on Thursdays and Fridays, either at the LAB on Foley Street in Dublin city centre or at IMMA studios in Kilmainham.

ARC is a practical programme and all students have full access to art production facilities, project-based studios and technical training workshops on the main IADT campus. Students are supported to access public liability insurance and funding from a range of public and private sources. The programme culminates in a curated group exhibition at the LAB Gallery.

Each week, students present their practical project work to ARC lecturers, including Maeve Connolly, Sinead Hogan and David Beattie. They also meet with visiting curators, critics and artists, such as Sheena Barrett, Moran Been Noon, Roisin Bohan, Sarah Browne, AlanJames Burns, Mary Conlon, Valerie Connor, Chris Fite-Wassilak, Katy Fitzpatrick, Damien Flood, Jessica Foley, Rachael Gilbourne, Isobel Harbison, Emma Haugh, Michael Holly, Sean Kissane, Alissa Kleist, Jaki Irvine, Paul McAree, Aine McBride, Maria McKinney, Dennis McNulty, Lisa Moran, Julia Moustacchi, Ciaran Murphy, Gavin Murphy, Sean O’Sullivan, Matt Packer, Sue Rainsford, Read That Image, Linda Shevlin, Kate Strain, Marysia Wieckiewicz-Carroll and Oonagh Young.

ARC students can also get hands-on experience of exhibition-making by assisting on the production of IADT BA Art student shows at Pallas Projects. ARC students can also realise publication projects, via ARC Public Press, or develop PhD research proposals.

In term one of year one (October – January), students participate in weekly tutorials and critiques focused on their practical projects. They also attend ARC-specific lectures and prepare applications for funding opportunities. In term two, they devise a collaboration with an external organisation. Recent examples include ROSC: Fiction of the Contemporary (IMMA), The Turf Depot (Oonagh Young Gallery) and Talking About Talking (Temple Bar Gallery + Studios). They are also encouraged to present their projects publicly, in contexts that have included The Darkroom, Science Gallery Dublin, RUA RED, The Dock and The Curragh. In January of year two, all students complete an individual Major Project in their chosen form, participating in a curated group exhibition at the LAB Gallery.

What modules will I study?
Students complete 60 ECTS credits in year one, attending classes on Thursdays (10am-5pm, October – May). They complete 30 ECTS credits in year two, attending classes on Fridays (10am-1pm, October-January).

Indicative Modules (90 credits)

Art Research Methods (10 Credits)
Introduction to critical,theoretical and ethical frameworks for art research, explored through case studies.

Professional Development (10 Credits)
Practical Skills in art research project development, management and documentation, networking, budgeting, fundraising and promotion.

Project Plan (10 Credits)
Weekly tutorials focused on planning and resourcing of each student’s self-directed art research project, with guidance on project objectives and strategies.

External Collaboration (10 Credits)
Practical research developed in dialogue with the work of an external organisation, potentially supported by ERASMUS internship.

Production (20 Credits)
Implementation of project plan, supported by weekly tutorials, with input from visiting artists, curators, writers and academic specialists.

Major Project (30 Credits)
Completion and presentation of self-directed Major Project.

Please find more information on the programme, including the Project Proposal submission, and what you do on http://arciadt.ie/

Min Entry Requirements
The course is open to graduates from any discipline area and all applicants must submit a Project Proposal. Please refer to the Preparing an Application for the ARC Programme guidelines (see course page) and contact maeve.connolly@iadt.ie with any questions.

Applicants must have an undergraduate qualification of 2nd Class Honours or higher at Honours Degree level, or equivalent experience.

Shortlisted applicants may be called for interview.

Two references must also support your application.

Portfolio: Yes

Application Deadline
2024 Applications are now open

IADT operates a rolling admissions policy for graduate taught courses, with decisions issued in 4 weeks after a submitted and complete application is received. An application is incomplete until you provide all required items on the checklist (including the application fee, if applicable).

Generally, courses will remain open to applications until all places are filled. Applications close in August.

All ARC applications must be submitted via the IADT online form.

Applicants will need to provide the names and contact details of two referees, a CV, Transcripts of Results (and Certificates of English Language Competence, if relevant).

You will also be required to submit a ‘portfolio’. Your Portfolio should be submitted as a PDF and must include a Project Proposal with the following elements:

A description of the concerns/ideas/materials/techniques you intend to explore in your project (approximately 500 words). You should indicate the project format most relevant to you. Do you want to make artworks, curate exhibitions/events, or write texts? If you’re interested in other formats that’s fine too – just let us know in your proposal.

Please include some references to examples of activities/research/work by others, either within or beyond the art field, relevant to your project (maximum 500 words).

If your project involves the making of artworks, you must include images of your own previous artwork (5-10 examples). Please caption all images with title, date and medium. You can also include links to documentation of your video/audio/performance works on your website/vimeo/soundcloud/tumblr.

If you wish to develop a specifically text-based project, please include samples of your previous writing (maximum 3,000 words) in your PDF

Please contact maeve.connolly@iadt.ie if you have any questions about developing a Project Proposal for ARC.

18 Months:
Year 1, October - May (Thursday 10:00 - 17:00)
Year 2, October - January (Friday 11:00 - 14:00)

The Conferring Ceremony for this programme will take place in March after the end of Year 2

Future careers
Several ARC graduates have received major awards as artists, including Michelle Doyle (Arts Council Next Generation) and Isadora Epstein (Markievicz Award). Others have secured Percent For Art funding for site-specific projects (Becks Butler, Astrid Newman, Ciara Roche), launched new businesses in fashion and woodworking (Jai Thorn and J Ross & Sons), and published books (Theo Honohan and Fiona Gannon).

All ARC graduates become part of the extensive IADT Alumni network, which includes Helen Carey and Jennie Guy (Fire Station Artists Studios), Caroline Cowley (Fingal Public Arts), Mary Cremin (Director of Void Gallery), Mark Cullen and Gavin Murphy (Pallas Projects), Cleo Fagan (Hugh Lane Gallery), Georgina Jackson (Douglas Hyde Gallery), Rosie Lynch (Nimble Spaces), and Kate Strain (Graz Kunstverein).