Culture Programme for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026.

To assemble is to gather as a group of people with a common interest. To assemble is to construct a whole from constituent parts. As congregation and construction, assembly is at the heart of the architectural process.

Background

The Ireland at Venice exhibit Assembly was Ireland’s national representation in 2025 at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition, the Venice Biennale. Commissioned by Culture Ireland in partnership with the Arts Council, the exhibit was curated by Cotter and Naessens Architects, and their team comprised architects Louise Cotter and David Naessens, multidisciplinary artist Michelle Delea, woodworker Alan Meredith, curator Luke Naessens and sound artist David Stalling.

Assembly is inspired by Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly and the design is a multi-sensory installation that offers visitors a soundscape to be inhabited and a space to be heard. Circular, modular and relatively small in scale it facilitates non-hierarchical communication between strangers.

Crafted in Irish beech, with a Ceadogán rug at its centre, and a soundscape that combines voices as well as natural and mechanical sounds, Assembly extends an invitation for people to congregate in partnership to consider matters of collective concern.

In a partnership between the Arts Council, Culture Ireland and the Office of Public Works, and with the kind support of CIÉ, Assembly will be presented in the public concourse of Busáras, Dublin as part of the Culture Programme for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026. Assembly will be the focus of a curated series of talks on arts and culture matters, centered on the concept of ‘assembly’ to facilitate broad-ranging discussions on topics of current relevance.

This RFT seeks tenders for the services of a Public Programme Curator to develop and deliver a programme of events for a four-week period from 21 October to 18 November. The programme will complement the Office of Public Works and National Built Heritage Services (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage). EU Presidency programme of events under their banner of Value for Many which will run between 19 and 21 November and will focus on architecture as a matter of general public priority.

Date	Assembly at Busáras for EU Presidency
14 – 20 October	Installation of Assembly		Not related to this RFT
21 October – 18 November	Public Programme	Curated programme of events on arts and culture– estimate of two per week.	Subject of this RFT
19 – 21 November	OPW Programme	Value for Many	Not related to this RFT
23 -27 November	De-installation of Assembly		Not related to this RFT

In keeping with the spirit of Assembly, it is envisaged that the Public Programme will invite people to come together to pool knowledge, exchange ideas, and openly debate proposals for our collective future. It is anticipated that cultural matters relevant to the lives of European citizens will be addressed and that there will be participation from the island of Ireland and across the EU.

Assembly will be situated in the concourse of Busáras for the period and the Mezzanine area of Busáras will be made available – for the talks and events that form the Public Programme – on dates between 21 October and 18 November (from 09:30 to 15:00).

Required Services

The Ireland at Venice partners, Culture Ireland and the Arts Council, are seeking the services of an experienced curator/programmer (‘Public Programme Curator’) to design, produce and deliver a four-week public programme of talks and events exploring arts and culture in a changing Europe.

The public programme will be inspired and framed by Assembly’s invitation for people to assemble in partnership to consider matters of collective concern, in keeping with Ireland’s Citizens’ Assemblies. All events will take place in Busáras, a landmark modernist building, and will serve to bring the public together in Dublin’s north inner city to engage with cultural matters of local, national and European interest in the context of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Over the four-week programme the Public Programme Curator will produce and deliver a cohesive programme of public events that generate momentum, dialogue and lasting impact. The programme should represent a broad range of arts practices, with the aim of reaching diverse audiences and should include meaningful events in Irish as well as a designated programme for local schools.

While events are not required on a daily basis, the programme must read as a unified curatorial proposition rather than a series of stand-alone events.

Deliverables

The Public Programme Curator will be responsible for developing, producing, and delivering all aspects of the public programme to accompany Assembly. They will:

• Develop a clear and compelling curatorial framework grounded in the idea of ‘assembly’.
• Programme a high-quality series of talks and conversations with Irish, European, and international perspectives.
• Engage artists, cultural practitioners, thinkers, and civic voices.
• Ensure the programme is accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to a broad range of publics.
• Develop meaningful connections with communities in the surrounding north inner-city area and the users of Busáras.
• Facilitate and support visits and photocalls by EU dignitaries and delegates to the exhibit.
• Be responsible for all technical production and event management for the culture programme.
• Work collaboratively with host organisations and stakeholders including Culture Ireland, the Arts Council, the Office of Public Works and CIÉ.

Tenderers must have a strong track record of curating arts/culture programmes (involving high-quality events and talks) and of producing and delivering programmes of scale, visibility, and impact to diverse audiences.

Please note the following are being provided separately and do not form part of this RFT:

• installation and de-installation of the Assembly exhibit
• promotion of the programme
• security
• invigilation
• exhibition curator tours (Cotter & Naessens).

Response to Tender Specification & Criteria for assessment

Proposals should demonstrate intellectual rigour, imagination, and ambition as well as a commitment to diversity and public value. They should also articulate how this programme of cultural talks and events can meaningfully contribute to wider cultural discourse in Irish and European life. Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

Criteria	Marks available
1.       Proposed methodology and programme content which must deliver on the concept of Assembly and address cultural matters of local, national, and European interest in the context of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.	250
2.       Experience and key skillset to include experience in the production and delivery of high-quality arts and culture programming of scale, visibility, and impact.	250
3.       Capacity to deliver and feasibility of the proposal. This must include a detailed programme budget (up to a value of €30,000, incl. VAT) and proposed timeframe for delivery (to include all production costs; speaker fees; travel and accommodation costs; dissemination costs etc.)	250
4.       Cost	200
5.       Green public procurement	50
Total	1000

For further information on the scope of contract, see Appendix I.

Please submit responses to this RFT, outlining how your proposal meets the criteria above, to [email protected] by 12pm, Friday 15^th May 2026.

Please note that queries will be accepted no later than 12pm, Monday 11^th May 2026.

 

*Appendix I

Scope of Contract

The project will be managed by Culture Ireland and the Arts Council. It is envisaged that this contract will commence in June 2026 and will be delivered by December 2026. Responses up to a value of €25,000 (incl. VAT) are sought for this tender. Payment will be subject to the delivery of the following milestones:

1. Proposal	June / July 2026
·         Project proposal and budget outline is agreed
2. Confirmation of proposal	August 2026
·         Letters of confirmation from participating artists / presenters / speakers etc ·         Finalised agreements with participants regarding fees, travel arrangements etc
3. Practical arrangements	September 2026
·         Confirmation that all logistical requirements for delivery of the programme are in place (e.g. AV, equipment hire, furniture, travel arrangements) in line with public procurement policy.
4. Delivery	November 2026
·         Successful delivery of agreed programme of events
5. Monitoring, Reporting & Project Evaluation	December 2026
·         Confirmation that any invoicing / project payments are resolved ·         Provision of any requested information on audience statistics, feedback etc.