Our Place 2025-26

Carlow Arts Festival commissioned the Our Place team to create a series of sound artworks exploring human rights and happiness in collaboration with people supported by the Delta Service. The Our Place team includes lead artists AlanJames Burns and Sinéad McCann, and co-designers Patrick Fitzgerald and Tony Davis, supported by staff at St John of God Liffey Services Dublin.

Workshops

In Carlow, the co-designers Patrick Fitzgerald and Tony Davis have led a series of workshops where everyone was encouraged to discuss their human rights and share experiences of accessing their rights and the barriers faced.

Their stories were recorded to create audio artworks which form part of an immersive multi-sensory installation that was exhibited at Carlow Arts Festival 2026 and continues in VISUAL until the 30th of August, 2026.

Our Place Exhibition @ VISUAL

Everyone is welcome in Our Place. Experience an immersive sound and light exhibition that playfully explores themes of human rights, happiness and belonging.

Led by artists AlanJames Burns and Sinéad McCann, and co-designers Patrick Fitzgerald and Tony Davis. The Delta Centre Artists are Ciara Brennan, Stephanie Canavan, Gary Craig, Jack Kelly, Michelle Kenny, Chantelle Meaney (Co-Designer), Pauric Moran, Jamie Murnane, Catherine O'Neill, Jonathon O'Regan, Philip Rowan, Andrew Shanley (Co-Designer), Adam Williamson, Jordan Foley, Aidan Collins, Paulius Maciulis and Racquel Kent. Created with Composer and Sound Designer Peter Power, and Exhibition Designer Ciara Murnane.

Sensory areas are designed within the gallery, featuring vibroacoustic seating for groups and individuals. Lámh, captions and audio descriptions are an embedded feature of the artwork.

The exhibition will run throughout the festival, 28 May - 1 June 11am-8pm. Our Place continues at VISUAL until 30 August.

Systems Change

This project is informed by methods of working and engagement developed by the Our Place team. In this new phase of action research, the team has examined access to employment, culture and intellectual property for creatives with intellectual disabilities.

This has led to several key changes within Carlow Arts Festival and milestone moments within this project.

The Our Place team, in collaboration with Carlow Arts Festival, led a cross-sector arts, community and disability discussion, sharing and building knowledge and capacity. This was held as part of the Disrupt Disability Arts Festival in March 2026.

Patrick Fitzgerald and Tony Davis were employed by Carlow Arts Festival to lead on this project. Working with SJOG through a co-design process, Carlow Arts Festival developed an easy-to-read contract and staff handbook.

Patrick and Tony conducted a building audit of VISUAL to assess how accessible the building is for people with a variety of access needs ahead of the exhibition's opening at VISUAL. And, a Know Before You Go was created for anyone to look through to see what to expect before arriving at VISUAL.

This new phase of work is supported by the Disability Participation and Awareness 3.0 Fund from Rethink Ireland, in consultation with Create Ireland – the national organisation for collaborative arts in Ireland.

To find out more about the history of the Our Place project, see the Our Place website: https://itsourplace.ie/

Funded by

Supported by