Public Events

The RHA’s Learning and Public Engagement Programme is run and managed by the RHA’s Learning and Public Engagement Curator, Ciara Harrison, with the help of artists, art educators and arts practitioners, who facilitate and assist in the delivery of events, workshops and programmes.

The Learning and Public Engagement Curator role was introduced into the organisation in 2017, in line with the Arts Council’s ambition for Institutions to develop their engagement programmes, and grow and diversify their audiences.

The LPE programme at RHA aims to generate opportunities for audiences to engage with the gallery. Our exhibition related events offer insights into the many exhibitions showing in the galleries. We programme events aimed at children, young people and families, alongside guided tours for schools and interested groups. 

We hope to welcome you to one of our events soon!

If you have any queries relating to any of the LPE events or programmes, please contact Ciara Harrison, Learning and Public Engagement Curator:  01 661 2558 / ciara@rhagallery.ie

Image Above: RHA Arts-in-Education Zine project with Michelle Doyle and St. Brigid’s primary school in June 2019.

Exhibitions in the RHA galleries are accompanied by a programme of public events that give audiences the opportunity to hear from artists and staff, learn more about the work in the exhibitions, and offer alternative ways to engage with the artwork.

Our regular exhibition-related events comprise of talks, panels discussions, and tours, but can also broaden out to workshops, offsite events and special collaborations.

Examples of past collaborations include: a dance performance, Tilting, by Mary Nunan, Isabella Oberlander and Mary Wycherley, in response to Elizbeth McGills’s 2017 painting exhibition Headland and a sound response and performance by Edy Fung to Barbara Knezevic’s solo exhibition pleasure ‘scapes. This formed part of a series of responsive events, Angelica Interventions, by artist members of the Angelica Network.

You can watch back on a selection of past learning events by visiting our Archive Talks page and visit our What’s On page for the latest information – some of which are shown below.

Our Arts-in-Education programme has had many iterations over the past number of years, and we’ve had the opportunity of working with many wonderful students from schools across the city, with different programme sponsors. 

Since 2019, our Arts-in-Education programme, supported by IPUT Real Estate, enabled us to work on projects with primary schools in our locality; St. Brigid’s Primary School, Warrenmount Primary, St. Enda’s Primary and John Scottus.

Students visited the RHA Gallery to explore our exhibition  A Growing Enquiry: Art, Agriculture, reconciling values, following we visited the schools to undertake a project with them in response to the exhibition. The project was facilitated, by artist Michelle Hall, our regular RHA Kids and Arts-in-Education artist.

Our Arts-in-Education programme has kindly been sponsored by IPUT Real Estate.

For schools, colleges and all interested groups, the RHA provides guided tours of our exhibitions, for up to 30 people. Tours cost €25 per group and take approximately 45 – 60 minutes. Please email 2 – 3 weeks in advance of the date on which you are looking to book your tour. 

For further information, and to book your tour, please contact Sarah McAuliffe, RHA Curator: 01 661 2558 / sarah@rhagallery.ie

During RHA’s Annual Exhibition (20 May – 4 August 2024), you can also attend weekly guided tours led by RHA Staff and Academicians. These tours will be available to book on our What’s On page.