The Ark Annual Report 2022

The Ark is where children come to discover and love art, as is their right. Following the publication of our 2022 Annual Report, we're celebrating some the amazing achievements The Ark has made in fulfilling this right last year.

You can take a look at some of The Ark's highlights from 2022 below, or download the complete Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements for 2022 online here.

Download the The Ark's Annual Report 2022

2022 in Numbers

The Ark Children's Council

The Ark Children’s Council was established in 2016 to bring children into The Ark’s decision–making processes. Over the course of 2022, Council members provided invaluable insight into our programme and activities, and were at the centre of a number of key projects.

These included:

Shaping the programme and promotion of BIG BANG Dublin! and acting as Festival Ambassadors
Presenting a works–in–progress showcase, Still Loading…, and giving their feedback to showcasing artists in the development of their work
Co–curating Right Here Right Now! A Festival of Children, delivered in early 2023, including issuing a nationwide callout for children’s views on their rights and creating promotional materials for the festival and The Right Here Right Now Rally
Co–creating Lookout with artists Andy Field and Beckie Darlington, a unique performance piece as part of Dublin Fringe Festival
Developing and launching HEAR OUR VOICE! Instructions on how to listen to children

A huge thank you to our 2022 Children's Council members: Abbie, Áine, Alexander, Anna, Anna Jia Ying, Anna Mae, Aoife, Cameron, Christian, Daisy, Eduard, Eloise, Esme, Eve, Fia, Gabriella, Glen, Indeever, Isla, Jack D, Jack Mc, Kyle, Libby, Lily, Linnea, Louis D, Louis O, Malachy, Mason, Mia, Molly, Naima, Nawaal, Nina, Noah, Olly, Panav, Ryan, Samuel, Sachet, Sarah, Sean, Síle, Tilly, Torin and Yu Ru!

Find out more about The Ark Children's Council

Impact of The Ark: Live from The Ark

Ed Devane in Wires String and Other Things Photo by Ros Kavanagh 667

The Henry Girls in Tracks in the Snow Photo by Ros Kavanagh 667

During the pandemic, The Ark made resources available online, adapted creative workshops to be delivered via video conferencing and even embarked on a live–streamed theatre performance. Digital programming has since become a regular part of our offering and in 2021/22, with funding from Rethink Ireland, the Department of Education and individual donors, we piloted Live From The Ark.

The programme consisted of two on–demand filmed performances, live online workshops and downloadable activity packs. While we still believe in the power of the in–person experience, we really value this method to reach children in every county in Ireland, most of whom would never otherwise visit The Ark in Dublin.

Find out more about Live from The Ark

Download The Ark's 2022 Annual Report in full

Chair's Foreword

Welcome to The Ark’s 2022 Annual Report, where we reflect on our progress in delivering our Strategy 2021–23, Sparking Childhood Imagination. Access to arts and culture is every child’s right. The arts can be truly transformative in terms of a child’s development and personality, and open windows into new worlds of imagination and wonder. Every child should have the opportunity to experience The Ark. I am proud to say that this has been a year where the hard work of The Ark Board, management staff and team has brought us so much closer to achieving this ambition.

In February, we reopened our building to in–person audiences, who enjoyed a new music show, Wires, Strings & Other Things, before it went on tour around Ireland and overseas. This wasn’t the only way we brought our work ‘out and about’: we installed artworks in local schools and delivered a growing programme in Dublin City Libraries as part of the Creative Hubs initiative. This included a musical adaptation of Roddy Doyle’s much–loved children’s book The Giggler Treatment, which will return to The Ark stage in 2023. We also explored new ways of co–creating art with children themselves through a unique performance as part of Dublin Fringe Festival called Lookout.

We worked to reach new children with our expanding programmes, including those who might not otherwise come to us. Along with accommodations for children with additional needs and targeted activities for children in DEIS schools, Direct Provision or emergency accommodation, in 2022 we used our digital know–how to bring our work to over 75,000 children and teachers in 28 counties across Ireland through Live From The Ark.

We take every opportunity we can to have children participate and share their views. The Ark Children’s Council welcomed Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, Ms. Catherine Martin to The Ark to discuss art, culture and children; they also contributed to the Ombudsman for Children’s shadow report to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; and they published ‘HEAR OUR VOICE! Instructions on how to listen to children’.

I wish to acknowledge the generous support of our core funders, the Arts Council, the Department of Education, and Dublin City Council. Creative Europe continued to support two projects which enabled The Ark to learn from and share with our international peers. In 2022, these funders were joined by Rethink Ireland, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth, Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, and our corporate partners Mason Hayes & Curran. We also gratefully received new funding from the Toy Show Appeal at Community Foundation Ireland, enabling the groundwork for our exciting Right Here Right Now! Festival of Children in 2023. I must also acknowledge the many individual donors and members who continue to support our work year–round.

The Ark’s small team must also be acknowledged. Without the dedication and passion of our Director, Aideen Howard, and the entire Ark team, enormous numbers of children would not have had such wonderful and memorable creative experiences.

Lastly, I wish to thank my fellow Board members who worked exceptionally hard advising and supporting the staff throughout the year. In November, we were greatly honoured to achieve a 2022 Good Governance Award, which recognised the huge effort deployed by all.

Carol Fawsitt

Chair

2022 at The Ark

Wires, Strings & Other Things at Lille Opera House as part of BIG BANG Festival Lille. © Opéra de Lille / Frédéric Iovino

The Ark Chair, Carol Fawsitt, Minister Catherine Martin and The Ark Director, Aideen Howard, with students of Gaelscoil na Fuinseoige. Photo by Mark Stedman.

The Ark Children's Council

Members of the Children’s Council preparing to present at Still Loading... Photo by Kyle Tunney.

Dublin City Libraries Creative Hubs programme

Chloe O’Reilly and Thommas Kane Byrne in The Giggler Treatment at Ballyfermot Library. Photo by Kyle Tunney.

Responses to Live from The Ark

Useful Links

The Ark Strategy Statement 2021-2023

2022 Programme

Hear our Voice! Instructions on how to listen to children