Projects

Shaping the future of artist workspaces in Dublin

Our role

• The project sought to deliver a feasibility report on ambitious plans for a €19 million ‘creative campus’ in The Liberties. Our Strategic Communications team implemented a co-design engagement strategy on behalf of Dublin City Council’s Arts Office to conduct a social feasibility study on future artist workspaces to support the council’s Urban Regeneration Development Fund application. 
• Feasibility studies were completed as part of the proposed Liberties Creative Campus, at Bridgefoot Street and at 8 and 9 Merchants Quay (the site of the former Little St Anthony’s Theatre) exploring a full refurbishment and new build respectively.
• We led a full co-design process, as part of a multi-disciplinary team, seeking to address an increasing deficit of artist workspaces in Dublin and look at the feasibility of developing local authority owned sites for new artist workspaces. 
• Through our own primary and secondary research, we established a workspace requirement for c.1,200 artists (primarily studio space) across the city, with approximately 41% of artists currently seeking workspace. 
• In addition to the consultation, we oversaw the communications of the project to a wide range of stakeholders across the political, arts industry and media landscapes.
• Following presentation of the findings to Dublin City Council’s Strategic Policy Committee on Arts, Culture and Leisure, our Business Cases and Funding team undertook a detailed business case development for Dublin City Council to take forward the development of a 40-studio building on Bridgefoot Street. 

Results

• We were the primary authors of the multi-disciplinary Feasibility Report, and have subsequently completed a Business Case study for both sites, with 8-9 Merchants Quay progressing to planning design and construction plans in early 2024.
• To inform the feasibility we undertook the largest artist workspace study conducted on the island of Ireland, collating and analysing responses from more than 500 artists across the city.
• As a result of the public media campaign, we delivered a combined reach of c.90K users online, with 750+ responses through surveys and workshops. This was complimented by a sponsored social media advertising strategy based on geo and interest-targeting criteria to drive traffic to the consultation website at various stages of the project.