Rua Red

Rua Red is more than just a building; it is a living, breathing, evolving space rooted in our community, shaped by the people and this place. This Strategic Plan is a crucial step in articulating the vision and values that have guided us so far while setting out a bold and ambitious direction for the years ahead.

This document captures not only where we are now, but also where we want to go, a shared vision that reflects the diverse voices of our board, staff, artists, centre users, stakeholders, and community. It lays out a framework for deepening our connections locally, nationally, and internationally, and for continuing to grow as an organisation that is open, responsive, and ambitious.

We also recognise that no strategy can or should remain static or shelved. That is why we have made a firm commitment to return to this strategy every year, to reflect, review, and set out a fresh action plan that keeps it alive and relevant. By doing so, we ensure that Rua Red remains dynamic, responsive to emerging needs and opportunities.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who contributed their time, insight, and imagination to this process over the last two years, particularly Dr. Liz Hayes, whose facilitation brought clarity and vision to our journey. Together, we have created a strategy that reflects who we are today while providing space for continual reflection, critical thinking, engagement, and growth into the future.

I am delighted to introduce and welcome Rua Red’s Strategic Plan 2026–2032, which is so much more than just a roadmap for the years ahead — it is a bold and thoughtful articulation of what it means to be a contemporary arts centre rooted in community, driven by values, and alive to possibility. Since opening in 2009, Rua Red has become a cornerstone of South Dublin County’s cultural landscape as a space that supports artists and audiences, but one which also challenges us to think differently about the role of the arts in civic life. This strategy reflects that evolution and is ambitious, inclusive, and deeply grounded in the lived experience of the people of the area. 

South Dublin County Council is fully committed to supporting Rua Red as it expands its facilities, deepens its engagement, and continues to deliver a programme of international excellence. We are proud to stand alongside Rua Red for this next chapter and beyond to strengthen our cultural infrastructure for generations to come. We will continue to provide resources and support capital development for additional studio space and enhanced facilities, to allow creativity to flourish and to meet the needs and ambitions of local artists and communities. 

The plan’s emphasis on being relevant, relatable, and radical speaks directly to the council’s vision for a vibrant, equitable and connected county. Rua Red’s commitment to social justice, to platforming marginalised voices, and to creating spaces where difficult but necessary conversations can take place aligns powerfully with our broader goals for community development and cultural inclusion. In a time of rapid change and growing complexity, Rua Red’s ability to communicate, engage and adapt will be key to its continued success, so I am particularly heartened by the strategic focus on collaboration across disciplines, across communities, and across borders. 

This strategy is a testament to the vision, energy and dedication of the Rua Red team, and to the many voices who contributed to its development. I look forward to seeing it come to life over the coming years, and to continuing our shared work in shaping a place where creativity, culture and community thrive.

Pro-actively encourage our staff, volunteers and Board in creating welcoming spaces imbued with a healthy and kind working culture that permeates the whole organisation.

Strengthen our team bond by investing in additional development pathways that will expand our team and reflect the diversity of our local communities.

Devise an organisation development model and working structures so that we stay inter-connected, inter-dependent and flourish alongside our networks and communities.

Ensure the organisation is governed responsibly, by a diverse board that stays aligned with its vision and ways of working in a complex operations environment.

We are committed to having a Board of Trustees that brings diverse experiences and expertise to our governance.

Bring in artist expertise to help instil artistic intervention and institutional critique into governance functions, which can often feel exclusive due to their bureaucratic nature.

Use our voice as a publicly funded arts centre to facilitate an inclusive approach that better supports interdisciplinary, intercultural collaboration within the arts.

Commission and support the production of new work by national and international artists that is made in the context of here.

Be responsive and alert to our ever-changing population, especially as impacted by economic and social deprivation, oppression, war, climate change, patriarchal systems, and changing geo-political worlds.

Facilitate a network of artists, community, and audience interactions to make and engage with art that is relevant and responsive in an ever-changing context.

Develop substantial and sustained residency experiences so that artists are embedded within our communities and can respond in an authentic way.

Continue to invest in a long-term development approach with artists from a place of trust and deep connection.

Support artists living in Ireland to produce and present new work.

Continue to lead, innovate, and work with partners to broaden, deepen and diversify audiences, and create many ways to engage with the arts.

Listen to our communities and ensure that their voice remains at the centre of all programming and activities as we continue to advocate for a rights-based approach to participation in arts and culture.

Conduct in-depth audience research in collaboration with South Dublin County Council to enhance existing data and inform new audience development strategies

Consolidate our progress towards greater cultural diversity and empowerment through values-driven, targeted work with marginalised and less often heard communities.

Interrogate our role and better understand the risks associated with convening challenging conversations and creating neutral spaces for open dialogue in an arts context.

Place our ethos of welcome and inclusion at the centre of our ways of working as we evolve our role in co-curating public spaces that celebrate our diverse communities in Tallaght and South Dublin.

Take time to critically reflect on our own systems, practices, and potential biases as we host and develop emerging networks and collectives of artists and cultural workers.

Affirm our ongoing commitment to sustaining a respectful, inclusive, and dignified workplace, embedding the values of the Safe to Create Code of Behaviour.

Support artists at every stage of their career though the implementation of an artists’ fair pay policy, which is central to ensuring sustainable careers in the arts and supporting a more diverse and equal arts sector.

Collaborate with 3rd level education providers to deliver accredited education and professional practice opportunities towards a career in the arts.

Create an artist peer support network that’s open to artists and students, focussed on developing work in an inter-disciplinary context.

Expand the provision of artists’ studio space and accommodation adjacent to Rua Red and across the county and create better conditions for artwork to be made in Ireland.

Listen and learn from our communities and encourage dialogue around the traditional rules and conventions that exclude people from engaging with the arts.

Consolidate our progress towards greater cultural diversity and empowerment as we further develop our community bridge building role in the next 6 years.

Contribute to the cultural, social, and economic life of Tallaght and surrounding communities by co-operating with our immediate civic and cultural amenity providers in the development of relevant arts and culture content that will enhance the new Parthalán Place.

Expand our Education and Outreach Programme by deepening partnerships with schools and ongoing collaborations and targeted initiatives such as with the Arts Councils Creative Schools Initiative and the Creative Ireland Schools Programme.

Advocate for the inclusion of arts and culture and ensure that the voice of the artist is fully integrated in all local and regional development strategies (community, economic, tourism, planning, and health and well-being).

Maximise the potential for cross- disciplinary working with cultural organisations and artists, both within the building and wider cultural circle.

Continue be a vibrant, welcoming public space for arts and community-based organisations and people who want to spend time in Rua Red.

Stay agile and responsive to new opportunities as we continue to engage and partner with a broad range of agencies, including South Dublin County Council, the Arts Council, other arts and cultural providers, national government, and philanthropic entities.

Collaborate with South Dublin County Council on the development and delivery of the arts infrastructure in the County.

Expand footprint of Rua Red’s Studio and Accommodation programme in the Central Tallaght locality and beyond.

Re-imagine ways to create additional arts and cultural spaces, assessing the potential for growth beyond the current facilities.

Invest in reducing our carbon footprint as we develop and implement a sustainability and public access strategy in collaboration with South Dublin County Council.

Admission to the gallery is free. Rua Red is proud to be supported by the Arts Council, South Dublin County Council, Creative Ireland, and the Government of Ireland; Project Ireland 2040.

Registered Charity No. CHY 18403
© Rua Red 2026