The Ark Annual Report 2021

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Foreword

Welcome to The Ark’s Annual Report for 2021. It was a landmark year for The Ark when we published our 2021–23 Strategy Statement, ‘Sparking Childhood Imagination’ in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We navigated extraordinarily choppy waters, but thanks to the flexibility, collaboration and resilience of our Executive, this was one of our most innovative and successful years. The Ark produced high quality artistic works, developed significant new partnerships, adapted to the challenging working theatre environment, and remained relevant to the development of children’s creative skills and their interest in the arts.

Our focus in 2021 was on four key areas: excellence, engagement, advocacy, and sustainability. Excellence was achieved in an artistic programme delivered online, outdoors and, towards the end of 2021, back in-house in Temple Bar. From visits to our beautiful Winter Light exhibition to the livestreaming to thousands of theatre production What Did I Miss?, therewere countless ways for children to experience the best of Irish and international art made just for them. With Engagement The Ark found alternative ways to reach new audiences: a digital edition of our annual BIG BANG Dublin! music festival and live online workshops delivered to children in DEIS schools, community centres, Direct Provision and emergency accommodation right across Ireland. Conscious of how few children could make it to The Ark in 2021, we found ways to bring The Ark to them, through activities online, art packs in the post and even the installation of artworks from our collection in some of our neighbourhood schools.

Using our Advocacy, we leveraged our position to impact on decision-making and policy through work with the National Children’s Advisory Council, the Creative Youth Advisory Panel and the National Campaign for the Arts. We presented our practice to the UN, positioning art made for, by and about children as central to how we recover post-pandemic. Crucially, we ensure children can advocate for their own rights: in 2021 The Ark Children’s Council became the youngest ever citizens to address the Oireachtas by bringing the perspectives of hundreds of children on their experience of the pandemic to the attention of the Joint Committee on Children.

Sustainability is critical to The Ark. Both the Board and the Executive worked extremely hard to ensure The Ark continues to deliver for children now and into the future. In this regard, I must acknowledge the financial support of our core funders including the Arts Council, the Department of Education, Dublin City Council, as well as the support of Creative Europe and others. With the support of our new partner Rethink Ireland, we reached tens of thousands of children nationwide. With corporate funding from Mason Hayes and Curran, children from diverse backgrounds accessed The Ark. I also wish to thank the many donors who, without their continuing support, would have limited our ability to enable children to access The Ark who would otherwise have missed out. We are incredibly appreciative of all support received.

I wish to take this opportunity to recognise the passion, dedication and professionalism of our Executive and its inspiring leader, Artistic Director Aideen Howard, and to commend each one for all they have done and continue to do to support and realise every child’s right to access and enjoy arts and culture. Finally, I must thank sincerely our Board of Directors for all their commitment and especially two retiring Directors, Brian Lavery, who stepped down as Chair of the Board in June 2021 after three years in the role and nine loyal years on the Board, and Gerard Smyth, esteemed poet and former Chair of our Audit & Risk Committee, who had also given nine years as a Director. Both have made immense contributions to the mission and vision of The Ark. On a personal note, I look forward to 2022 with a sense of excitement about what is yet to come.

Carol Fawsitt

Chair

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