Climate Design Lab publishes call outs for Artists and Creatives
20th January 2025: Kildare County Council is pleased to announce two open calls for artists and/or creative partners to work with communities in Maynooth and Maynooth University on Climate Design Lab, a creative climate action project with the aim of exploring human-centred design thinking principles and approaches as a progressive and dynamic model for community engagement and behavioural change.
Based in Maynooth’s Community House, the Climate Design Lab Artist in Residence, will work with partners, communities and stakeholders including Kildare County Council Climate Action Team and Maynooth University across a 10-month residency, February – December 2025. Through a separate open call Creative Collaborators are also invited to apply to work with the lead partners and communities in developing and utilising creative processes to prompt new perspectives and explore the complex issues of Climate Change.
The Climate Design Lab is based in Maynooth town, the lead Decarbonizing Zone (DZ) for County Kildare. The project will co-create, design and test innovative solutions for addressing climate change that encourage positive behaviour change in a creative, practical and human-centred way. Using principles from Design Thinking and Behavioural Economics i.e. ‘Fun’ and 'Nudge Theory', the Lab will involve collaboration between local residents and Maynooth University students, directed by experts in Design, Climate and Creativity from Kildare County Council and Maynooth University. Throughout 2025 the Lab will bring together community groups from across Maynooth, with creative partners, to work creatively and collaboratively to examine decarbonisation in their communities, identify themes that matter to them and promote localised behaviour change.
It is intended that the positive experience of creatively engaging with The Climate Design Lab will support individuals within communities to shift perspectives to find new ways to respond to old challenges and empower community-based champions in the Climate Conversation.
The Climate Design Lab is supported by Creative Ireland’s Creative Climate Action Ignite Fund. The Creative Climate Action Fund II, launched in 2023 supports creative, cultural and artistic projects that build awareness around climate change and empowers citizens to make meaningful behavioural changes.
The call outs and application forms for the new ‘Artist in Residence’ and ‘Creative Collaborator’ opportunities can be accessed via https://kildarecocoarts.submit.com/. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 12th February 2025, 12pm (midday).
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