Open Call for a temporary Public Art Commission for Dolphin House

Dublin City Council is delighted to announce an open call for 2 temporary Public Art Commissions for Dolphin House. These commissions are part of a wider Dolphin House public art programme which will culminate in a larger scale public artwork that will be commissioned for 2027.

Since September 2025, DCC, through its Arts office, has been working with Create, The National Development Agency for Collaborative Arts and artist Evelyn Broderick and the community of Dolphin House on a Public Art programme which places the community at the heart of the Public Art Commissioning Process.
 
The local community has participated in weekly workshops and discussions about the Public Art Commissioning Process, led by Evelyn Broderick. These workshops raised local awareness of the nature and benefits of contemporary public art and how the community can have ownership and leadership within the commissioning process. Crucially, this deep engagement allowed for the interests and ideas of local communities to be heard and to learn how the community identify themselves and their neighbourhood. This active research directly feeds into the artist brief, with the local community providing the following information which should guide the artist as they develop their proposal.

In May 2026, Mini Commission # 1 was awarded. We are now seeking proposals for 2 collaborative Mini Commissions: 

• Mini Commission # 2 in collaboration with Rialto Youth Project
• Mini Commission # 3 in collaboration with Dolphin House Homework Club 

These commissions aim to create space for real collaboration through listening, reflection, conversation, support and creative expression around experiences of regeneration, exploring what regeneration has meant, and continues to mean, for the children and young people who lived — and are living — through it. 

The selected artists will work closely with participants and stakeholders to develop a creative process that is inclusive, respectful, and responsive to each group’s experiences. They are open to a wide range of artistic disciplines, and approaches, including music, song writing, visual arts, photography, film, sound, writing, theatre and performance, architecture and socially engaged practice, or interdisciplinary work.

For more information, please download the artist brief below

Closing date for applications is the 24th July at 12 noon.