IMMA Perspectives- A Creative Encounter is a partnership between IMMA, Dublin City Council, Skillnet and neurodivergent artists, Jody O’Neill and Dee Roycroft, working towards creating a Dublin where neurodivergent people can fully participate in and enjoy cultural experiences. This is a partnership which aims to explore new and experiential ways that neurodivergent people interact within cultural institutions and work together to learn and seek practical solutions for barriers encountered.

What does the encounter offer? 

The encounter, designed and facilitated by Jody O’Neill and Dee Roycroft, sees selected professional neurodivergent artists (across a range of disciplines) participate in a weeklong series of bespoke workshops and seminars. These are an opportunity for selected artists to spend a concentrated period of time exploring their practice and identifying areas where they encounter challenges, and evolving practical solutions. Ultimately, the artists will also contribute to deep learning relating to: identifying barriers, training staff experientially, raising awareness, promoting acceptance, and overall neurodivergent artist development, within a cultural institution.

What can I expect from participating in the encounter?

• A temporary artistic community to examine and reimagine systems of making within a shared experience of neurodivergence.
• Working with other neurodivergent artists to foster connection and exchange within bespoke structures and supports;
• Daily check-ins, workshops and seminars;
• Time, space and resources to explore artistic practice and ideas;
• Learning how to create and disseminate access documents;
• Experiential training in workshop facilitation, through co-designing and co-delivering a workshop for IMMA and DCC staff that explores neurodiversity inclusion and accessibility from a point of view of lived experience.

Dates and Times (full schedule to follow)

• May 12th - 16th inclusive.
• 10am - 5pm daily.
• This includes a €10 lunch stipend as well as access to basic facilities, access will be provided to basic facilities. 
• There will also be one online introductory workshop in advance. Date will be coordinated with participating artists.

Who can apply?
The programme is open to neurodivergent professional artists across disciplines, living and/or working in Dublin City. Complete the following short application form. If you prefer, you can answer the questions via video or audio recording rather than written text. Any applications done by video or audio should be sent directly to immaperspectives@gmail.com 

Timeline March 11th 2025 – Launch webinar & open call applications opened – this webinar will give artists an overview of the encounter and application process, while providing the opportunity for meaningful engagement with a wider community through panel discussions, guest speaker or online workshop facilitator.

April 4th 2025 - Application deadline and selection process. 

April 17th 2025 - Successful applicants informed. 

Early May 2025 - Online workshop for selected artists (date TBC). May 12th - 16th - Encounter at IMMA 

FAQ

How many artists will be taking part?
5 professional neurodivergent artists will be selected across a range of disciplines.

What does the encounter offer?
The encounter, designed and facilitated by Jody O’Neill and Dee Roycroft, sees 5 selected professional neurodivergent artists.

I identify as neurodivergent, but don’t have a formal diagnosis - can I still apply? Yes.

Can you cover accommodation costs? No. As this pilot is based on funding from Dublin City Arts office, selected artists should be living and/or working in Dublin City. We cannot cover costs of accommodation, transport or per diems.

Is this a paid opportunity? Selected artists will receive a stipend of €150 per day. Is attendance at all days mandatory? Yes.

Will my caring costs be covered? There is a small budget to contribute towards caring costs.

What access provisions are available? We are committed to making this an accessible opportunity and will discuss specific access requirements with selected artists ahead of the encounter. 

If I need support with the application or have questions, who can I contact? Email: immaperspectives@gmail.com How will we select the successful artists? Representatives from IMMA, Dublin City Council and two independent artists will comprise the selection panel.

The Arts Council’s definition of an artist - A person who is actively pursuing a career as an artist in any art form, and who considers their arts work as their main profession or career. This applies even if their work in the arts is not their main source of income or they have other employment

Dublin City Council Arts Office wishes to establish a registry of cultural/arts organisations and collectives who are seeking temporary or permanent work-space across the city.

The purpose of the registry is to establish a database of organisations/collectives actively seeking space (to rent; to lease & manage; or to purchase), and to match this information with opportunities that may arise through new building development and/or refurbishment of existing buildings. For the purposed of cross-referencing we will be using the typologies set out in the Cultural Toolkit : Toolkit Resource 2 Toolkit_Resource_2.pdf

This registry database is intended to be used by Dublin City Council to directly inform registered contacts of new opportunities related to Cultural/Arts workspace (including but not limited to those arising from CUO25 Dublin City Development Plan Final 1-12 Culture.pdf );  and/or  training/networking events for artists workspace). It is further intended that contacts provided will be shared with developers and/or their agents for the purposes of matching expressed workspace need to new potential supply.

Please note this registry is not suitable or intended for individual artists.