Doubletake Studio

Established in 2010, DoubleTAKE Supported Arts Studio is a professional artist’s studio at Rua Red, South Dublin County Arts Cente, dedicated to enabling people living with a disability to meet and integrate with other artists.  The studio is home to 80 artist members.   The studio is staffed by four professional artists.

  • Sharon Devlin – Studio Coordinator and Artist Mentor
  • Caroline Hyland – Artist Mentor
  • Aine Kelly – Artist Mentor
  • Dee Pouch – Artist Mentor

They are supported by Studio Assistants: Eileen Flynn, Mark Halpin, Teresa Gvozdovic, Cathal Regan, Neltah Chadamoyo and Theresa Reilly.

To enable all people irrespective of age, gender, level of disability sexual orientation, or cultural background to use the medium of the arts to express and communicate

To empower people by providing a supportive environment in which they can develop new skills and integrate with the wider community and in then in the long term develop meaningful friendships

To maximise the inclusion in society via participation in cultural activities in their local community.

To encourage independence, individuality and creativity through the arts by facilitating the personal and artistic development of each individual,

To initiate meaningful participation in community cultural development by members of our disability community via arts training, arts practice and fun.

To improve networking and exchange within the disability art community by making links with similar initiatives locally, nationally and internationally.

Participants and Organisations taking part:

The artists involved come from many different sections of the community, some of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities. Many of the artists are supported from services such as Saint John of God (Island Bridge, Avila, Menni, Las Granada’s, Green Gables), WALK, Cheeverstown, CHESS, Saint Michaels House, EVE.  Many of our artists attend the studio independently.

Studio session times

The studio is open from Monday through to Friday, a total of 6 sessions per week.

Normal sessions are 10am – 1pm & 2pm – 5pm

Duration

The studio is open all year, excluding public holidays.

Covid 19 Lockdown

The normal Studio Sessions came to a halt on 12 March 2020 with the lockdown in response to the Covid 19 pandemic.

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DoubleTAKE HOME

Our Artist Mentors and artists then looked at ways we might stay connected. Overwhelmingly, our artists opted for an online studio and DoubleTAKE HOME was established.  There has been much excitement and relief at being able to see and connect with each other after such a long time away from each other.  Not all our artists are in a position to join the group so we keep connected through phone, text and email. Our online zoom art sessions have brought us together too.  We now have 2 online art sessions per week.

Recent Projects
2020
PERCEPTIONS – 2020 Vision Exhibition. Cancelled due to Covid 19 pandemic  

Perceptions – 2020 Visions:  The exhibition/ installation project was an exploration of the societal attitudes, both unconscious and conscious, around the disabled community, particularly people with intellectual disability and the lived experience of these attitudes will be reflected back to the public by those who experience it.  Drawing on the wide range of creative expression and medium already employed by the studio artists we were exploring new ways such as film, audio, spoken & written word.  The Perceptions process will challenged, stretched & enriched the creative powers of the studio artists.  The size and scope of Rua Red Gallery 1 presented an opportunity to “step out of the box” of constraints whilst also exemplifying the need pursuit of excellence.

The aim of the body of work was for the studio artists to rightfully claim their place in society whilst reflecting back the negative and disabling attitudes they experience. It was a rejection of the “othering” of this community and a challenge to those who do so, consciously or unconsciously.  It was a challenge for us all to examine our own perceptions of those who live with a disability.   Whilst the exhibition was curtailed the process of challenging the status quo continues.

2019 - 2020
CRUST : Because We Have The Right To Earn One!

CRUST was a digital arts project led by:Digital Artist Rowena Keavney and coordinated by Artist and Double TAKE Studio Coordinator, Sharon Devlin. 

The project also involved the studio’s Artist Mentors; Caroline Hyland, Dee Pouch & Aine Kelly.  Studio Assistants : Eileen Flynn, Mark Halpin, Teresa Gvozdovic, Cathal Regan, Neltah Chadamoyo  and Theresa Reilly. Technical /administration support from Ruth Clancy.

CRUST was funded by South Dublin County Council's Health and Wellbeing initiative. It explores Article 23.1 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rghts:

  • Everyone has the right to work,
  • To free choice of employment
  • To just and favourable conditions of work
  • To protection against unemployment.

CRUST has involved 50 DoubleTAKE Studio artists.  We began the project with a series of lively conversations about ‘dream jobs’.  We looked at the work that some of our artists currently do and compared these with the jobs that they would really like to do.  We explored the barriers to these dreams and desires and the effects of these barriers on a person.  We compiled a large collection of Statements of Dreams and Frustrations with the aid of surveys, group & one to one meetings and discussions, artistic responses and photographs.   

Digital Artist Rowena Keavney wove this collection into a powerful digital collaborative art work.  To launch CRUST,in November 2019  it was decided to hold a silent vigil, led our artists outside Rua Red – South Dublin County Arts Centre. They made a strong statement about no longer accepting the barriers to their full participation in society as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 1 states:
 All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

The CRUST artists demonstrated that all humans have dreams and aspirations and the fundamental human right to work towards them.  There is no greater disability in society, than the inability to see a person as more - Robert M Hensel. Poet and Disability Activist

DoubleTAKE Annual Events
Annual Open Studio

September 2012 saw the first of what was to become the DoubleTAKE annual Open studio week. Initially showing the work done throughout the year within the studio and then expanding and displaying the work of the artists on the walls of Rua Red cafe to this year, bringing the session out into Tallaght library and responding to an exhibition housed there along with celebrating the launch with the current mayor of Tallaght and supporters and friends of the artists.

Annual Certificate Day

July 2014 saw the first of our annual certificate giving days. This annual certification has now become an eagerly anticipated day of celebration for the DoubleTAKE Studio artists and their supporters.

Past DoubleTAKE Collaboration & Projects:
Bealtine Celebration 2012

“It’s only me and the others”

In collaboration with TCA`s Doors to elsewhere drama group and St. Dominic`s community centre, the DoubleTAKE studio created visual artworks in response to the theme “Self -portraits”, which were displayed in Rua Red cafe area in tandem with a performance from the drama group and the young people of St. Dominic`s Community Centre.

Unwrapped 2014

The Unwrapped team kindly gave us the opportunity to get involved with their preparations for the Unwrapped December event. The DoubleTAKE artists were invited to assist in the making of the props for the performance of Good King Wenceslas production. This involved the making of orbs and wings, intricate and complex work, which was then used by the performers on the day. Because of the complexity of the work, not all of the DoubleTAKE artists were in a position to actively participate but nonetheless enjoyed the creative energy and excitement that was generated within the studio.

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DoubleTAKE Projects
2015 - 2016
Exhibition "Independence" and DoubleTAKE Book "The Journey to Independence

We are planning to stage an exhibition of art works, which will be created by the DoubleTAKE artist participants. Up to 60 artistic and creative adults with a range of abilities will participate in both the Exhibition of art works entitled “Independence” which will be held in South Dublin Arts Centre, Rua Red, within, Gallery 2 in October 2016 and also the creation and production of the book “The journey towards Independence” which will coincide with the exhibition.

This will be the first exhibition of artworks, created by the DoubleTAKE supported art studio, to be shown in a professional art gallery. At present the artists are considering this theme and work will commence in September 2015.  The creation of the DoubleTAKE book will take place in tandem with the exhibition preparation. Artists will be interviewed, photographed, images of individual artist`s work will be gathered and chosen and the progression of the process of preparing for exhibition will be mapped within the book production.

This will be a joint celebration and of the artistic achievements of the DoubleTAKE artists and also a celebration of the 1916 commemoration. The title of the exhibition “Independence” is recognition of the commemoration and also recognition of the artistic Independence and true voice of some of this country`s most marginalised and vulnerable communities.

Both the exhibition and the book are giving voice to those who are seldom heard, they are celebrating the beauty of this community of people who don’t often get recognition for their own natural beauty and contribution to our society.  Project Timeframe - September 2015 – October 2016

 

Outcomes
  • Supported artists from one of the most vulnerable sections of our society to create and show their work within an established gallery space. 
  • Worked towards a more equitable and inclusive society for all through the celebration of “Independence”. 
  • Creating a space for understanding through the personal stories within the book and through the imagery within the exhibition. 
  • Celebrated the commemoration of 1916 through the lens of a vulnerable community who are still fighting their own battles for Independence, on a daily basis, within Irish society.

Proud to be funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and South Dublin County Council