The vision of the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland is that Irish design and craft is recognised and valued worldwide for its excellence in craftsmanship, innovation and marketing. Their mission is to promote and stimulate the creative and commercial potential of Irish design and craft and to work in collaboration with strategic partners in the ongoing development and growth of the sector.
This 2016 Design Commission project is an original design commission entitled ‘who do we think we are: exploring collective identities’. This project involves the commissioning of a designer to create new work/s on the theme of ‘Collective Identity’, which will be displayed in an exhibition in 2016 to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising.
The exhibition will include the designer’s own original work/s and also works created in collaboration with a group of adults, as part of a series of workshops in response to the theme. The combined work will be exhibited in Collins Barracks in 2016 to coincide with a major conference on this theme. The project is a partnership between the Design & Crafts Council, the National Museum of Ireland and Irish Design 2015.
The theme of this collaborative project is Exploring Design, Craft and Collective Identity over the past century, with sub-themes including:
- What is collective identity now, a century on from 1916, and how is it expressed?
- What did collective identity mean in 1916 and what does it mean in 2016?
- How is collective identity reflected in the design of everyday objects from our clothes, jewellery or furniture to currency and postage stamps?
A key aim of this project is to consider the theme of Irish identity in an inclusive society. It is expected that the process of collaboration would reflect this. The winning design commission must incorporate work, which explores the theme of collective identity and investigates the project themes outlined, to be achieved through collaborative engagement and/or inter-disciplinary responses.
As a central aspect of the commission, the proposed process must involve designers(s) leading the making of new work through a process of collaborative public engagement. The resulting design work will be exhibited at Collins Barracks, and will be launched with a National conference in November 2016 on the same theme of ‘Collective Identity’.
Tá sé mar fhís ag Comhairle Dearaidh agus Ceardaíochta na hÉireann go n-aithneofaí dearadh agus ceardaíocht na hÉireann ar an stáitse idirnáisiúnta, agus go samhlófaí luach leis, mar gheall ar an mbarr feabhais a bhaineann leo ó thaobh na ceardaíochta, na nuálaíochta, agus na margaíochta de. Tá sé de sprioc ag an gComhairle an acmhainneacht chruthaitheach agus tráchtála a bhaineann le dearadh agus ceardaíocht na hÉireann a spreagadh agus a chur chun cinn, agus comhoibriú le páirtithe straitéiseacha le forbairt agus fás leanúnach na hearnála a chothú.
Coimisiún uathúil dearaidh dar teideal ‘Cé Sinn dar Linn? Féiniúlachtaí Comhchoiteanna a Fhiosrú’ is ea tionscnamh Choimisiún Dearaidh 2016. Is éard atá i gceist leis an tionscnamh ná dearthóir a choimisiúnú chun saotha(i)r nua a chruthú bunaithe ar an téama ‘Féiniúlacht Chomhchoiteann’, a chuirfear i láthair an phobail mar chuid de thaispeántas in 2016 a dhéanfaidh comóradh ar Éirí Amach 1916.
San áireamh sa taispeántas beidh bunsaotha(i)r an dearthóra féin chomh maith le saotha(i)r a cruthaíodh i gcomhar le grúpa daoine fásta, mar chuid de shraith ceardlann ar an téama. Beidh na saothair ar fad á dtaispeáint i nDún Uí Choileáin in 2016 le linn do mhór-chomhdháil a bheith ar siúl ar an téama céanna. Is comhpháirtíocht idir an Chomhairle Dearaidh agus Ceardaíochta, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann agus Dearadh na hÉireann 2015 atá sa tionscnamh seo.
Is é Scagadh Dearaidh, Ceardaíochta agus Féiniúlachta Comhchoitinne le linn an chéid seo caite téama an chomhthionscnaimh seo, agus i measc na fothéamaí tá:
- Céard is féiniúlacht chomhchoiteann anois ann, céad bliain i ndiaidh 1916, agus cén chaoi a gcuirtear in iúl í?
- Céard a bhí i gceist le féiniúlacht chomhchoiteann i 1916 agus céard atá i gceist léi in 2016?
- Cén chaoi a gcuirtear féiniúlacht chomhchoiteann in iúl i ndearadh earraí coitianta, idir éadaí, sheodra, throscán, bhoinn airgid agus stampaí poist?
Aidhm lárnach sa tionscnamh seo is ea téama na féiniúlachta Éireannaí i sochaí uileghabhálach. Táthar ag súil go mbeidh sin le feiceáil sa phróiseas comhoibrithe. Beidh an bua ag coimisiún dearaidh a chuimsíonn saothar a dhéanann scagadh ar théama na féiniúlachta comhchoitinne agus a bhreathnaíonn ar théamaí an tionscnaimh mar a tugadh iad, trí chomhoibriú agus/nó trí fhreagraí idirdhisciplíneacha.
Mar chuid lárnach den choimisiún, caithfidh an dearthóir/na dearthóirí, mar chuid den phróiseas beartaithe, cruthú saothair nua a threorú trí phróiseas comhoibrithe leis an bpobal. Taispeánfar an saothar dearaidh a eascraíonn as an bpróiseas i nDún Uí Choileáin, agus seolfar é in éineacht le comhdháil náisiúnta i mí na Samhna 2016 ar an téama céanna, ‘Féiniúlacht Chomhchoiteann’.