Co_Create Ireland is a four-year, all-island research initiative that brings together art and design with diverse communities to address some of the most pressing challenges facing society — from
Supported by the
The project is co-led by the National College of Art & Design (NCAD) and the Belfast School of Art, Ulster University, in consortium with the University of Limerick and Atlantic Technological University. Together with 24 external partners across the island of Ireland, Co-Create applies methodologies central to art and design research — co-creation, ideation, participation and commoning and others — to foreground citizen voices and develop new approaches to shared challenges.
Co_Create’s research is structured around four interconnected thematic areas, each addressing a dimension of social cohesion through art and design-led methods:
Designing inclusive, community-led public services through co-production with communities, government agencies and citizens, using service design and socially-engaged arts practice.
Co-developing adaptive, resilient and person-centred approaches to care across critical transition points: between settings, care levels and life stages
Driving climate response, behavioural change and circular economy practices through regenerative art and design, with a focus on textile production and community food growing.
Developing creative activist strategies for addressing complex histories, memorialisation and social identity through practice-led art and archival research.
Across these themes, a cohort of 8 PhD students and 4 postdoctoral researchers are embedded within partner organisations, ensuring the research is grounded in real-world contexts and responsive to community needs.
Co-create Ireland applies research methodologies central to art and design practice — approaches that foreground citizen voices, embrace uncertainty, and create space for communities to shape the research that affects them.
These are not methods applied to communities from outside. They are participatory, practice-based and iterative — designed to move from 'design for' to 'design with' and ultimately 'design by' the people and communities involved.
Collaborative design processes that bring researchers, communities and stakeholders together as equal participants. Co-design sessions use creative tools — mapping, prototyping, scenario-building — to surface insights and develop solutions that reflect the lived experience of the people they serve.
Methods drawn from service design — journey mapping, persona development, blueprint creation — applied to public service challenges. Service design helps visualise complex systems and identify where interventions can have the greatest impact.
Art practice that positions communities as active creators rather than passive audiences. Participatory art projects generate dialogue, surface hidden narratives, and create shared ownership of cultural production.
Iterative cycles of making, testing and refining — from physical prototypes to service models to policy frameworks. Prototyping allows ideas to be tested in context before they're scaled, reducing risk and increasing relevance.
Research conducted through the practice of curating — assembling, contextualising and presenting cultural material to generate new understanding. Curatorial research explores how museums, archives and public spaces can support critical conversations about history, identity and representation.
Working with archives, oral histories and documentary material through creative and artistic methods. This approach surfaces stories and perspectives that conventional archival practice may overlook — particularly disaggregated and uncollected material relating to difficult histories.
Practices of shared governance, collective stewardship and communal resource management. Commoning challenges extractive models of knowledge production and positions research outputs as shared resources belonging to the communities that helped create them.
Co-create is delivered by a consortium of four Higher Education Institutions:
National College of Art & Design (NCAD)
Ulster University (UU)
University of Limerick (UL)
Atlantic Technological University (ATU)
The consortium works with 24 external partners spanning government departments, community organisations, cultural institutions, health bodies and industry — 13 in the Republic of Ireland and 11 in Northern Ireland.
Co-create Ireland is built on collaboration. The project brings together four Higher Education Institutions with 24 external partner organisations across the island of Ireland — spanning government, community, cultural, health, industry and charitable sectors.
These partnerships are not advisory. External partners are integral to the research: shaping questions, hosting embedded researchers, co-designing outputs, and ensuring the work responds to real challenges in real communities.
See all partners →
Age & Opportunity is the national organisation creating opportunities that empower older people to enhance individual and community wellbeing through participation in physical activity and recreational sport, arts and creativity, personal development and active citizenship initiatives. We envision an Ireland where older age is recognised as a time of opportunity and where all older people can be active, visible, creative, connected and confident about ageing.
Age Friendly Ireland is a local government shared service that functions as a national office for the delivery of Age Friendly activity across Ireland, under the banner of the WHO Global Network for Age Friendly Cities and Communities. Around the country, local Age Friendly Programmes in each local authority area are developing accessible towns and buildings, Age Friendly Homes, social participation opportunities for older people and actions to improve older people’s quality of life. Older People’s Councils are established in all counties and cities to reflect the diverse voices of older people in the community and ensure that local and national services and policies respond to the needs of the ageing population.
Big Motive is a digital strategy and design consultancy. We combine human-centred design with AI to create measurable impact and bring tomorrow into focus.
We work and play at the point of change exploring new ways to think and act as a collective of creative thinkers, innovators and action takers. We are building a platform for discussion, education and action centred on the issues of climate breakdown.
Community Gardens Ireland (CGI) - Supporting Community Gardening in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Founded in 2011, CGI is a voluntary, independent, inclusive group that works with all agencies and groups which support community gardening and food growing on the island of Ireland.
Create is the national development agency for collaborative arts. Their work initiates cross-sectoral national and international partnerships which support artists and communities to co-create work of depth, ambition and excellence. Their mission is to lead the development of collaborative arts practice by enabling artists and communities to create exceptional art together.
Creative Ireland is a whole of government culture and wellbeing programme, led by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (DCCS). The programme aims to inspire and transform people, places and communities through participation in creative and cultural activity, with the vision that every person in Ireland has access to creative opportunities to realise their creative potential. Creative Ireland works to find innovative ways to empower us to tap into and develop our innate creative ability through participation in creative and cultural activity.
The Department for Communities (DfC) has strategic responsibility for equality, anti-poverty, sports, arts and culture, languages, finding employment, historic environment, housing, regeneration, benefits and pensions, community and voluntary sector development, social legislation and child support in Northern Ireland.
The Department works from the centre of Government to drive the delivery of better public services, living standards and infrastructure for the people of Ireland.
EMEEN is a national network of ethnic minority professionals. It is deeply a committed organisation to NI economy promoting employment and entrepreneurship among ethnic minority professionals and entrepreneurs.
Grow is a small charity that has been involved in land-based community action in Belfast for over fifteen years. We help turn neglected land into welcoming community spaces. These become places where people can grow food, learn skills, meet others, improve wellbeing and take practical action on climate and biodiversity.
HIRANI is the NI Health and Life sciences cluster organisation. Clusters bring together vital stakeholders required to catalyse innovation across a region. We engage across borders and across the sector to develop funding, influence, policy and opportunity for collaboration. We represent Northern Ireland stakeholders and innovators on the global stage.
HSE Spark equips frontline staff with the tools and methods of design, to give shape to their insights, develop their ideas collaboratively, and bring them to life through prototyping, testing, and iteration. With human-centred design skills, targeted resources, and a community of like-minded innovators, they can change the healthcare system for the better.
Limerick City Partnership is the local development company for Limerick City, working collaboratively to strengthen and empower communities and individuals. We promote social inclusion by supporting participation in civic, economic and social life. We work in partnership with stakeholders and are a registered charity and company limited by guarantee.
Mourne Textiles is a family-run weaving studio in County Down that creates handcrafted textiles and homeware inspired by the heritage, craftsmanship, and natural beauty of the Mourne Mountains.
The National Museum of Ireland is home to one of the world’s most remarkable collections of artefacts, tracing the rich and fascinating story of Ireland and its place in the world. Spread across three inspiring locations in Dublin and Co. Mayo, each Museum offers a unique space for discovery.
The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) is the representative body for voluntary youth organisations in Ireland. Our member organisations work with, and for, up to 380,000 young people in every community in Ireland, with the support of 40,000 volunteers and 1,400 paid staff. NYCI functions to represent the interests of young people and youth organisations and our role as the National Representative Youth Work Organisation is recognised in legislation (Youth Work Act, 2001). The work of NYCI is based on principles of equality, social justice and equal participation for all.
NWCN is a membership organisation whose role is to support and develop its members and the community sector within the Derry/Strabane area. We strengthen and build capacity within the sector as well as facilitating collaboration to advocate and lobby on behalf of members and the sector on pertinent community issues. We do a lot of cross-sectoral work and in partnership with others e.g. University, Ideas Fund initiative and our supporting minority ethnic communities project.
We creatively engage people in exploring identity and memory in place, core to Northern Ireland’s troubled complexity. We listen, we reflect, we encourage. We share stories and ideas, food and drink. We look at the past to understand the present and imagine the future.
Réalta is the national resource organisation dedicated to developing arts + health in Ireland. Réalta seeks to increase understanding and support for arts and health, and to embed the arts into healthcare provision in Ireland through training programmes; providing information, mentoring and advice; supporting networking and engaging with the HSE and other policy makers. Réalta manages the Waterford Healing Arts programmes at University Hospital Waterford and other healthcare settings, and the national resource website artsandhealth.ie. Réalta is core funded by the Arts Council and the HSE.
Spunout is Ireland’s youth information and support platform, working towards an Ireland where all young people are supported and empowered to thrive. Spunout has a range of free, accessible and non-judgemental services that are there for you whenever you need them. If it matters to you, it matters to us.
The Irish Grown Wool Council is a collaborative network promoting the value, sustainability, and innovation of Irish wool. It connects farmers, processors, designers, researchers, and industry partners to strengthen local supply chains, encourage responsible production, support rural livelihoods, and champion wool as a renewable material for textiles, interiors, and emerging applications.
The Liberties Community Project is an amalgamation of SICCDA and Robert Emmet CDP- two South West Inner City Dublin community development organisations established in 1982 and 2003 respectively.
At the MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre), we’re more than an arts venue — we’re a creative hub that fosters bold, imaginative experiences, connecting people with the transformative power of the arts. We believe in the potential of culture to inspire, challenge, and engage diverse audiences. Our mission is to spark creativity, empower communities, and create a platform for voices that might otherwise go unheard. Every day, we work to create a more inclusive and vibrant city through the arts as a cultural leader in Belfast and beyond, known for innovative programming, creative excellence, and social impact.
Co-create Ireland brings together researchers, educators and practitioners from across the island of Ireland. The project team spans four Higher Education Institutions, with researchers embedded within partner organisations to ensure the work is grounded in real-world contexts.
See full team →
Professor Alex Milton is a design academic, researcher and practitioner. He is Head of the School of Design at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Ireland. His work focuses on participatory design, creative pedagogy and design for policy – developing national design strategies and running national design initiatives. He has authored 8 books including Product Design (published by Laurence King, and translated into three languages).
Alison Gault is a Professor of Regenerative Textiles and Circular Fashion, with a focus on biomaterials and fabrication. She is Fashion theme lead for the RISC+ (6.5M) project and is CoLead on the AHRC Future Island‑Island (7M), and Textile lead for the IntertradeIreland Biodirect 2 and the Environmental Protection Agency REVEIRE project. Teaching Textiles and Fashion at Belfast School of Art, where she is also Placement Lead. Currently a Senior HEA Fellow, Design Council Expert, and Irish Grown Wool Council member.
Angela O’Kelly is Head of Department of Design for Body and Environment at NCAD, a designer-maker, and curator. Her materials-led, research-driven practice spans jewellery, textiles, and objects, championing sustainable and regenerative design, and is held in major international public and private collections. Her curatorial work connects audiences with contemporary craft.
Brian is Head of Belfast School of Art at Ulster University and Co-Principal Investigator for CO-CREATE — an Irish Government funded Research Partnership exploring the role of art and design in developing inclusive futures across Ireland in areas such as healthcare, public service delivery and climate action. He is also currently President Elect of the Institute of Designers Ireland (acceding for the 2027-28 term). His research interests span a number of domains, including how design practice can help us to ask and answer philosophic questions, support academic research and strengthen democracy.
Caoimhe leads the MA and Professional Diploma Service Design, and Design Lab: Civic. Her work focuses on public sector service design, and the role of life-centred design approaches in improving citizen experiences. She is particularly interested in how co-design approaches, collaborative sense-making, and experience prototyping can be embedded within public sector organisations to support service transformation.
Dr Catherine O’Hara teaches design history at BSoA. Her research is focused on the role and status of design, design education and design reform in Northern Ireland in the interwar period and the Ulster linen industry. She is Post Graduate Tutor and supervises PhD researchers in design and textile history and material culture.
Cróna O’Donoghue is a lecturer in the Department of Design and Creative Media at Atlantic Technological University, Donegal and co-founder of design firm ODDesign. Her professional background incorporates design, curation, event and arts management, and community engagement. She is currently completing her PhD in CSM, University of Arts London.
Declan Long is Head of Doctoral Studies and Co-director MA / MFA Art in the Contemporary World at the National College of Art & Design, Dublin. He is Co-Principal Investigator for CO-CREATE.
Dr Dominic Thorpe is an artist and assistant lecturer in the Department of Sculpture and Expanded Practice at NCAD. He works across performance art, video, drawing, installation, collaborative and relational processes. Research interests include perpetrator trauma representation and the role of the body in contemporary art. He also regularly works with artists at the inclusive KCAT studio.
Dr Campbell teaches photography at Ulster University and recently produced the Abortion Utopia toolkit for her Shared Island post-doc. Campbell’s exhibitions and publications encompass the work of Alliance for Choice and Array Collective, where she is Co-convenor and 1/11th member artist respectively. The Wholly Trinity film combines her roles succinctly.
Emma Creighton is a design researcher and lecturer at NCAD, leading DesignLabs: Health. Working with clinical, academic, and community partners, she investigates how design can be embedded within health and social care systems to support service improvement, strengthen organisational capability, and improve experiences and outcomes of care.
Dr. Isobel Cunningham is a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Atlantic Technological University. Her research and professional interests focus on entrepreneurship education, inclusive entrepreneurship, social enterprise development and growth, and the ways in which social entrepreneurs build and leverage social capital. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Cunningham actively collaborates with government and industry bodies that support SMEs and the social enterprise sector.
Jye O’Sullivan is an art historian and researcher of visual cultures. Their research has previously focussed on the intersections between artistic practice and cybernetics, with a specific focus on the artistic uses of cybernetics within a Latin American context. Jye’s present research interests include decolonial cybernetics, posthumanism, ecological ethics and the philosophy of technology.
Dr Kyle Boyd is a Lecturer in Digital Design at Belfast School of Art, Ulster University. His work explores how digital technologies can be designed, evaluated and applied to support people, services and communities. He has published across areas including usability, interface design, digital health, user experience evaluation and the measurement of user experience.
Louise is an Associate Professor, course director for The MSc in Design for Health and Wellbeing and lecturer on the BSc. Product Design & Technology UL. Louise is the founding member of the Product Design and the Performing Arts (PDPA) research group.
Dr. Muireann McMahon is Associate Professor in the School of Architecture and Product Design at University of Limerick. Her research and teaching focus on Sustainable Design, Design for Social Impact and Design for Wellbeing. She explores, through collaborative studios, projects and publications how creative processes support meaningful change for people and the planet.
Pamela Whitaker is a lecturer in art psychotherapy at the Belfast School of Art. She is a researcher and educator interested in ecologies of care, creative health, the art of gardening, and food designers. She practices under the name of Groundswell, a social enterprise supporting hospitality, pride of place and habitats for regeneration.
Tom O’Dea is an artist who works with mixed-media sculpture and participatory practice to explore ways how different forms of knowledge impact upon our ways of acting and being the world. His work interrogates the political implications of knowledge production, practices of computation and organisation in contemporary society. Tom is a lecturer in Sculpture and Expanded Practice at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin.
CO-CREATE IRELAND is a Strand III project funded under the North South Research Programme (NSRP). The NSRP is a collaborative scheme funded through the Government’s Shared Island Fund. It is being administered by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
