Signal Arts Centre
Signal Arts Centre was set up in July 1990 to address the lack of a focal
point for the visual arts in Bray and North Wicklow generally and
at the same time create a practical facility where artists could
both develop their own work and make the arts readily accessible
to the local community as a resource. Signal in common with other
arts organisations is registered with the CRO as a not-for-profit
limited company having a voluntary board of directors who are charged
with the responsibility for the centres development. The long-term
aim is to establish a permanent centre of excellence for the visual
arts in north Wicklow that will act as a facility both for local
artists and arts bodies as well as the general community.
The Centre has made a significant impact in Bray,
not only in the arts and educational fields but also as an addition
to the towns basic tourism infrastructure. Signal first opened
to the public since 1990 and in that time has embedded itself firmly
into the cultural and social fabric of the community. The centre
has provided an irreplaceable resource for artists and the general
public alike and continues to upgrade and develop its arts programme
each year.
Over the years we have seen many sister arts
organisations, locally and nationally, disappear due to lack of
proper structure, lack of finance or simply because those responsible
for them moved on or ran out of energy. The fact that Signal is
still going strong is a testament to the people who over the years
have supported the centre. In seventeen years we have employed several
hundred artists, giving them the opportunity to renew or perfect
their skills or learn new ones, avail of specialist training and
gain valuable experience when working as part of the centre's outreach
programme. Our arts staff have come from all arts and crafts disciplines:
sculpture, dance, music, design, graphics, painting, photography,
multimedia, ceramics, community arts, poetry, etc. Many ex-staff
retain close links with the centre through participation in events
using the centre's faculties or through membership of the Signal
Arts Society. The fact that Signal operates as a "working
artists" facility is central to the ethos of the Centre and
both the quality of our artists and the projects they undertake
have been widely recognised.
Mission Statement
Signal Arts Centre Core Objectives
- To develop Signal as a permanent centre of excellence for the visual arts which can act as a resource for artists and the general community alike.
- To raise the profile of artists and the arts generally within the community and to make both accessible to the broadest possible public in an environment free from aesthetic, political, cultural or any other bias or exclusivity.
- To provide a range of services, facilities, training and educational programmes for arts practitioners to assist them in the development of their career.
- To provide artists with the opportunity to exhibit their work through the centre's Exhibition Programme which aims to make significant work from all disciplines accessible to the widest possible public.
- To address the lack of suitable workplaces in the area by the provision of fully equipped studios for working artists in the centre.
- To develop the centre as part of the national arts infrastructure and to contribute positively to the development of arts policy locally by networking with other arts organisations and statutory bodies.
- To operate an Outreach Programme of community arts projects, making artists available as a resource to local voluntary groups, schools etc. and to establish artist residencies in the area annually.
- To support the development of Signal Arts Society as a resource for its members through the expansion of the facilities and benefits available to them in the centre.
- To support the implementation of the Charter of Rights for visual artists as ratified in Dublin by the European Section of the International Association of Art.
Signal People
Signal involves artists and innovative people who are developing their own artistic skills as well as providing arts workshops or working on projects within a community context. Signal includes a dynamic management committee, an administration team, staff artists and the Signal Arts Society. Signal is also home to The Albert Art Group.
Board of Directors
| Michelle Fullam ................... Chairperson | |
| Eleanor Phillips ..................... Treasurer | |
| Linda O'Neill ......................... Company Secretary | |
| Colum O'Neill ........................ Health & Safety Officer | |
| Greg Murray ......................... Participant Development Officer |
Manager
| Claire Flood...................................... |
Claire is both supervisor of the CE (community employment) project, and manager of the Centre. She also represents Signal on The Wicklow Community Platform and sits on Wicklow County Council’s Community, Cultural and Social Development Strategic Policy Committee and is also a director of Shadowbox Theatre Company. |
Administration Staff
| Conor Rafferty........................................ | Exhibitions Organiser |
| Alva Smith.................................. | Administration |
| Beata Piotrowska..................................... | Administration |
Staff Artists
| John McCann..................................... | Design & Newsletter |
| Jonathan Higgins...................................... | Web Developer & Social Media |
| Kaisa Ypya.................................... | Staff Artist |
| Margaret Walsh................................... | Artist |
| Lorna Lennon.................................. | Artist |
| Anna O'Rouke...................................... | Staff Artist |
| Andrew Freeland....................................... | Staff Artist |
| Ciaran Coogan................................... | Artist/Writer |
| Donal Smyth.................................... | Artist |
| James Hayes.................................... | Artist |
| Jade Butler................................ | Artist |
| Olive Merry | Artist |
Employment Opportunities
Signal employs 15 part-time staff on yearly contracts through the centres Community Employment Project (C.E.P.). While on staff they gain valuable work experience and training in a wide variety of disciplines, both in-house and by availing of specialist courses outside the centre. Our Staff Artists come from every branch of the Arts: Visual, Performance, Music, Dance, Drama, Arts and Crafts, Photography, Sculpture etc., and while many of these are highly qualified and experienced we have always been happy to employ people who are just beginning to explore the possibility of working in the arts field. Similarly, with our administrative staff Signal is geared to progress new staff through general office procedures, bookkeeping, payroll management and computer skills, greatly enhancing their employment prospects on leaving Signal.
All staff employed in Signal’s C.E.P. must be eligible for employment under guidelines set out by F.A.S.
Check eligibility criteria here.
If you are interested in joining the team in Signal contact the office for advice or send in your c.v. to arrange an interview. The centre maintains a list of accepted applicants who are contacted as soon as a suitable vacancy arises.