Research & Innovation

Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) has been awarded €146,000 by the Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA) for FESTSPACE, a research project about festivals, events and inclusive urban public spaces in Europe. TU Dublin academics, Dr Bernadette Quinn and Dr Theresa Ryan, are collaborating on FESTSPACE with colleagues from the United Kingdom, Sweden and Spain with the project receiving €1 million overall. The Irish Research Council funds the TU Dublin academics’ participation.

The FESTSPACE project, led by Prof D. McGillivray (pictured left) of the University of the West of Scotland, focuses on how festivals and events enable or restrict access to, and use of, public spaces, including the extent to which they might effectively host interactions and exchanges between people from different cultural, ethnic, socio-economic and socio-demographic backgrounds.

Commenting on TU Dublin involvement with the project Dr Bernadette Quinn (pictured right) said: “FESTSPACE will investigate how festivals and events affect the inclusivity of public spaces. The Irish project will have a particular emphasis on commemorative events planned as part of the Decade of Centenaries programme. Festivals and events are an important part of Dublin city’s cultural landscape, and many are staged in indoor and outdoor public spaces. This research is interested in understanding how these events affect those who use public spaces and ultimately in learning about how public spaces can become more inclusive”.

Welcoming the announcement from HERA, Professor Brian O’Neill, Director of Research, Innovation and Enterprise at TU Dublin, said: “TU Dublin is excited to play a part in what is one of the largest research programmes ever examining the major social, cultural, and political challenges facing Europe and the world.  FESTSPACE is just one of 20 transnational projects, which have recently received €20m in funding under the HERA programme and is a fantastic opportunity for TU Dublin to build relationships with humanities researchers across Europe while enabling the widespread sharing of knowledge and expertise.”

Commenting on the news, Dr Eavan O’Brien, Assistant Director of the Irish Research Council, said: “We congratulate Dr Bernadette Quinn and her fellow researchers at TU Dublin on their success in the HERA joint research programme. Undoubtedly, their collaboration with researchers from the United Kingdom, Sweden and Spain will deepen the understanding and knowledge gained during this project. We are delighted that Ireland’s researchers are part of this transnational funding opportunity.”