The Ark, Dublin

The Ark is a dedicated cultural centre for children and was founded on the principle that children are entitled to great art made especially for them. We believe in arts for EVERY child. Our purpose is to realise children’s right to art and culture with ambition and joy. We do so by commissioning, producing and presenting fun and ambitious art for, by, with and about children from birth to age 12. Our work is also our advocacy. Child participation is at the heart of our practice. We work closely with our Children’s Council and have a robust model of child participation embedded across all of our programmes. Active and comprehensive consultation with children informs all our decision-making. As firm advocates of children’s right to art and culture and as leaders in participatory practice, we regularly share our resources and knowledge with artists, educators and all those interested in child-centred arts practice. We also curate specific professional development opportunities for teachers and artists, and work with other like-minded organisations to advance children’s rights to art and culture as part of their learning and development. ‘I think that I grew my own talents in the arts by watching, taking part, and asking questions at The Ark. I developed my confidence in voicing my opinions. Being part of such a beautiful place felt magical to me. It’s a place where children are in charge, where our imaginations are free, and it feels like a second home.’ – Ava, age 11