Co-Create Ireland: Art and Design Research Network for Inclusive Futures

We will establish an all-island partnership which champions the role citizen-centric art and design research can play in responding to the polycrisis, addressing intersecting cultural and environmental challenges and the increasing role fragmentation of social cohesion plays in exacerbating them. This partnership draws together a cross-border network of researchers, cultural institutions, industry partners, community groups and public bodies to explore the impact transdisciplinary applications of art and design research methods can have on driving outcomes within fields including health, environmental studies, cultural heritage, and social policy. Methodologies central to art and design research practices, such as co-creation and ideation, participation, and commoning, offer alternative systems to urgently foreground citizen voices. These methods can be applied in bottom-up ways to engage communities in co-creating new approaches to democracy, climate action, health, and public services. The partnership will develop new models of creative research practice as well as innovative ways to measure the impact of these models. The research methods developed and employed will emphasise ‘in public’ exchange of knowledge and understanding, focused on creating key links between research and citizen-led policy impacts. The partnership will develop art and design-led research, pedagogies, and public impacts in four key areas linked to social cohesion: Social Action for Inclusive Heritage and Creative Democracies - developing socially-engaged, creative practices that link social identity, community integration and cultural narratives to imagine and enact citizen-led futures Sustainability, Regenerative Practices and Shared Ecologies - driving climate response, adaptation and behavioural change through arts-led environmental action for sustainable cities and design for circular economy ecosystems The Future of Health and Wellbeing - working at the convergence of art, design and clinical expertise for human-centric health services Design for Public Service Innovation - designing more inclusive, accessible public services at the intersection of the twin green and digital transition