NCAD Unveils Programme Showcasing Innovation Among Graduates

The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) has said the ability of its graduates to respond to significant challenges, including uncertainty, bode well for Ireland’s society and economy.

Announcing details of NCAD Works 2022, Professor Sarah Glennie, Director at the College, said: “Being bold and curious are fundamentals in NCAD’s approach to teaching and learning. Equally, making and doing – and sometimes failing – is part of a resilient approach to education which can make graduates more adaptable and solutions-focused, regardless of the disrupters.”

NCAD Works 2022 is a week-long programme that comprises exhibitions by graduating students; a programme of in-person and online performances, talks and events; and a dedicated, online platform that offers students an opportunity to explain and promote their work. The programme runs from 8th – 14th June and represents the first, full NCAD Works programme since 2019. There are 247 BA and MA graduates showcasing their work in-person or on the digital platform, www.ncad.works.

“What is interesting about the return of our full graduate showcase is that the issues students are dealing with are not vastly different to those before the pandemic: climate change; gender; mental health; and the convergence of physical and virtual realities continue to be topics that students explore. However, a key difference is that some of the issues – since the intervention of the pandemic – have become more urgent and more relevant to society and the economy.

“Our graduating students from design disciplines are creating sustainable medical devices that speak to the circular economy while contributing to cutting-edge health care. In fashion, circular supply and sustainable production are foremost in critical thinking and output from our students. And across our schools, students are engaged in creating space for environmental recovery, equality and social justice. Tangible experience of making such as space is achieved through the many ‘real world’ projects students at NCAD undertake as part of their learning, working with community groups, NGO’s and businesses in Dublin 8 and beyond,” said Professor Glennie.

Highlights of the student work on display for NCAD Works 2022

—  Creating a more positive experience for patients resident in a children’s hospital forms the basis for Interaction Design student, Enya Schaefer’s project Bubblo, which creates moments of delight and meaningful social interactions within disconnected environments.

—  A minimal, cost-effective solution to hearing loss – a modifiable risk factor that can prevent the onset of dementia – is presented by Product Design student, Gareth Byrne in his project, Eureka.

—  Ireland’s complicated history with its land and how similar issues persist today – evidenced in the housing, climate and ecological crises – are explored and decoded in print and digital forms by Graphic Design student, Ava McEntee in her project Land: Ownership, Perceptions and Geographies.

—  The prevalence of gender inequality and violence against women is interrogated by Sculpture and Expanded Practice student, Niamh Potter who draws on mythology to inspire her project, Silence.

—  Combining multiple disciplines, Illustration student Ciara Mohan sheds light on the lack of medical research around female health through her project, Endometriosis in Ireland which raises awareness about a common condition that affects one in ten females in Ireland.

—  Biodiversity loss and how it can be further prevented inspire a sustainable textile collection, realised through traditional techniques and locally-sourced sheep fleece and other fabrics, from Textiles and Surface Design student, Niamh O’Connell in her collection, Moths and Meadows.

—  The lingering influence of the Catholic Church on Irish society, particularly in relation to gender and sexuality, finds expression through Fashion Design student, Rachel Morris’s unisex collection Sin, No Sin, with techniques and fabrics chosen to challenge gender norms.

—  An auto-ethnographic reflection on place, and uncovering the phenomena and the reverberations of growing up near the Northern Irish border are at the centre of MFA Fine Art student, Roisín Mc Guigan’s work, Re-enchanting Geography in an Unruly Place.

“Apart from demonstrating their capacity to be resilient and ready for an uncertain future, the quality of work – from right across NCAD’s schools – is extraordinary. I am very proud of the students – and the teaching staff at NCAD – for demonstrating leadership and courage through the pandemic. As society innovators, creatives and solutions-providers, this cohort of graduates can present themselves with confidence.

“Their learning, coupled with hands-on practice, means they can help us all navigate an uncertain future. Moreover, the impact of NCAD students is increasingly recognised at home and internationally. Last year alone, NCAD was the most nominated institution in the prestigious RSA Student Design Awards,” Professor Glennie added.

NCAD Works 2022 is accompanied by a programme of live and online events, bringing together graduates, artists, curators, industry experts and the public, offering a forum to discuss many of the concerns raised by students’ work. All events are free.

Programme highlights

—  On Wednesday, 8th June at 10.30 am, ‘Collaborative Learning in the Neighbourhood: Reflections on NCAD’s Dublin 8 Neighbourhood Residency’ will bring together NCAD students and staff, along with local community workers, youth workers, artists and educators to critically reflect on collaborative arts practice in the local neighbourhood.

—  On Thursday, 9th June at 1.30 pm, NCAD graduate, Lorraine Quigley will give a talk about A Minute in my Life an exhibition based on her personal experiences as an Autistic individual, growing up undiagnosed and the implications this had on her.

—  On Thursday, 9th June at 5.30 pm, Director of NCAD, Sarah Glennie will introduce ‘Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability’, a panel discussion that will highlight the role that community, public, and private institutions can play in creating prosperous, welcoming and supportive cities for all.

—  On Friday, 10th June at 1 pm, ‘Circular Economy – Sustainability & Circular Economy at the National College of Art and Design Ireland’ will see apparel designer Gwen Cunningham trace her journey to inspire change and design new systems to support the circular economy.