Public Art Commission - Clonakilty Flood Relief Scheme
Introduction
The OPW and Cork County Council under the State’s Per Cent for Arts Scheme are commissioning an artwork / project attendant to flood defence work carried out in Clonakilty as part of a major Flood protection and early warning system.
- Title: Public Art Commission: Clonakilty Flood Relief Scheme
- Commissioner: OPW and Cork County Council
- Location: Clonakilty, Co. Cork
- Deadline for Stage One Applications: 7th April 2025
- Budget: The budget for this commission is €61,000. This will cover design, supply and installation of art works, inclusive of all associated costs including VAT.
About the Clonakilty Flood Relief Scheme
The Clonakilty Flood Relief Scheme includes: construction of storage area with embankment, installation of water level sensors and flow monitors to inform the operation of the storage area, construction of new tidal defence walls, construction of earthen tidal flood embankments, replacement sections of railings with solid parapets, strengthening and raising parapets of Clarke's Street Bridge, raising the Ring Road for a length of 200m to a height of 1.7m, and the construction of 5 surface storm water pumping stations. The scheme provides protection against a 100-Year fluvial flood (1% Annual Exceedance Probability) or a 200-Year tidal flood (0.5% Annual Exceedance Probability).
Overview and Vision for the Commission
The Flood Relief Scheme is composed of several elements throughout the town and surrounding areas; proposals may consider possible physical sites, areas of interest, communities of interest or place, events or activities in the Clonakilty area that they wish to engage with.
Artists are invited to make proposals for artwork that is permanent or temporary, in any artform as identified by the Arts Act 2003. For outdoor works, the Croppy Park has been identified as a site. Proposals from collectives / groups of professional artists, designers or craftspeople are also welcome. Artists do NOT need to identify specific communities or groups of interest but can indicate suggested types of desired collaborators.
The commissioners are seeking artistic proposals that support creative placemaking and connection to the wider environmental concerns that the flood relief scheme engages with in Clonakilty. Proposals should emphasise community engagement and artistic process as well as the anticipated outcome(s). Artists are asked to consider the specific social, political, environmental, historical and cultural contexts of Clonakilty. Artists are asked to be mindful and conscientious of the proposed environmental impact of their proposal.
Image Above: Croppy Park perimeter marked in red. Black Circle indicates cordoned-off storm tank.
Community Engagement
The selected artist will engage or collaborate with communities of interest and/or place in the developmental phase of the artwork.
Cork County Council and the OPW welcome both traditional and new and innovative forms of engagement and recognises that artists connect with communities in a wide range of ways e.g. workshops, creative consultation, action research, interviews, collaboration on research, digital platforms, collaborative spaces online etc. The successful applicant will receive support in identifying and contacting local communities.
Images Above: Croppy Park, which may be utilised as a site for temporary or permanent outdoor artworks, events and / or activities. Images: Gearóid Murphy.
Eligibility
The following eligibility criteria apply:
- Professional practicing artist(s) / designer(s) / craftsperson/craftspeople.
- Artists working in all artforms welcome to apply.
- Artists, designers, and craftspeople at all stages of their career.
- Incomplete submissions or duplicated submissions for other schemes will not be eligible.
Budget: The value of each commission is €61,000 including VAT. The amount is fully inclusive of all costs and fees including production, insurance and if relevant, groundworks.
In- Person Site Visits: There will be a site visit on 10th March 2025 from 12 noon to 1pm in Croppy Park, Clonakilty. This is at the intersection of Long Quay and the N71 / Croppy Quay. Location on Google Maps: Location Directions.
To register your interest for the site visit please email: [email protected]. Registration of interest is not in lieu of proposal submission.
Submissions
All documents to be submitted through the 'Make a submission' button below.
Deadline for Submissions: 5pm 7th April 2025.
Submissions Must contain the following:
- Textual description outlining the approach to and aims of the proposed artwork.
- Visual description of the above where appropriate.
- Approach to community engagement and involvement.
- Possible outcomes and public-facing outputs.
- An up-to-date C.V.
- A PDF portfolio of recent relevant works, including external links to video, audio, websites where appropriate.
- Proposed timeline.
- Budget, including artists fees, insurance, production, community engagement and documentation.
- Outline of monitoring, evaluation, documentation and reporting processes.
Assessment Process
Several artists will be shortlisted in Stage One and invited to prepare a detailed proposal which will be presented to the Selection Panel in Stage Two. Shortlisted artists for Stage Two will be paid a fee of €350 to develop their proposal.
Assessment Panel
The assessment panel will consist of independent arts expertise, Cork County Council, OPW and local community representation. Cork County Council retains the right not to commission if a selection is not recommended by the judging panel.
Conditions
Selected Artists will be required to provide an up-to-date tax clearance certification and undergo the Garda Vetting process. The selected artist will need to have their own public liability insurance.
Appendices
Article about mural in Croppy Park
General information on the Clonakilty Flood Relief Scheme:
About Clonakilty
The name Clonakilty is the Anglicised version of Cloich na Coillte, meaning castle of the woods. The 2016 Census recorded a population of 4721 in Clonakilty.
There are two secondary schools and four primary schools located in the town.
Clonakilty has won a number of awards as a tourist destination. It is Ireland’s first Autism Friendly town, accredited by ASIAM.
In 2017 the town was voted “Best place in Europe”, and “Best place of the year” by the Royal Institute of Architects Ireland.
Clonakilty Street Carnival and the Clonakilty Guitar Festival take place each year.
The farmer’s market takes place in Emmet Square every Friday.
The town is home to many memorials, a museum and miniature model town.
Clonakilty has a prolific GAA history as well as producing world champions in mixed martial arts.
Inchydoney beach is the closest beach to the town and a popular summer destination for day trips and water activities.
History
Clonakilty is home to a number of Ancient and Pre-Celtic sites such as Los na gCon ringfort.
Norman settlers built settlements around Clonakilty.
During the 1798 Rebellion, Shannonvale near Clonakilty was the site of a fierce battle, a statue commemorates this in the town centre.
Michael Collins, the director of intelligence for the IRA during the War of Independence, lived in Clonakilty while attending school in the town. Collins played a pivotal role in forming the free state and gaining Irish independence. There is Michael Collins House museum in Emmet Square and the Michael Collins Centre in Castleview just outside Clonakilty.
In April 1943 an American Boeing B-17 travelling from Morocco to England was forced to land outside Clonakilty. Link: The Rum-Loving Monkey Who Crash-Landed in a B-17 During WW2.
Two Clonakilty Schools feature in the Dúchas Folklore archive. Link: www.duchas.ie.
Further References
Clonakilty, West Cork - Ireland's Resort town
Clonakilty: Ireland’s First Autism Friendly Town