Dublin Port Company & Fire Station Artists’ Studios
The Business Challenge
Dublin Port Company’s international links, its industrial history and the diversity of the communities that surround the port area, offered the company great potential for the development of an innovative corporate social responsibility project. They sought to develop a partnership which would engage with the local community and have a visual impact on its largely industrial environment.
The Solution
In 2004, they began working with Fire Station Artists’ Studios on a public art project called 100 Flowers to Bloom. The project involved Liverpool based artist David Jacques who worked with children from St Joseph’s National School in East Wall on an extensive study of non-native plants within the port landscape. The project culminated with the publication of the book 100 Flowers to Bloom in 2007 which traces the various stages of the art project, from the initial research stage and detailed drawings completed by the children, through to the more public manifestation of silk embroideries and hand painted banners which were sited at Dublin Port, St. Joseph’s School and around East Wall.
Benefits to Company
Dublin Port Company places significant emphasis on good corporate citizenship. 100 Flowers to Bloom helped to demonstrate the company as a responsible member of the community, as a major employer in the area and a supporter of creativity and the arts. The final publication of the art project also made an excellent corporate gift which demonstrated its positive corporate citizenship practice to its business partners.
Benefits to Stakeholders
The numerous testimonials from participant school children that are contained in 100 Flowers to Bloom proves the impact that this project had on them. The partnership between Dublin Port Company has continued with Fire Station Artist Studios managing a large-scale public art commission between 2008-11 which will seek to continue the Port’s engagement with its people and communities.
Dublin Port Company’s international links, its industrial history and the diversity of the communities that surround the port area, offered the company great potential for the development of an innovative corporate social responsibility project. They sought to develop a partnership which would engage with the local community and have a visual impact on its largely industrial environment.
The Solution
In 2004, they began working with Fire Station Artists’ Studios on a public art project called 100 Flowers to Bloom. The project involved Liverpool based artist David Jacques who worked with children from St Joseph’s National School in East Wall on an extensive study of non-native plants within the port landscape. The project culminated with the publication of the book 100 Flowers to Bloom in 2007 which traces the various stages of the art project, from the initial research stage and detailed drawings completed by the children, through to the more public manifestation of silk embroideries and hand painted banners which were sited at Dublin Port, St. Joseph’s School and around East Wall.
Benefits to Company
Dublin Port Company places significant emphasis on good corporate citizenship. 100 Flowers to Bloom helped to demonstrate the company as a responsible member of the community, as a major employer in the area and a supporter of creativity and the arts. The final publication of the art project also made an excellent corporate gift which demonstrated its positive corporate citizenship practice to its business partners.
Benefits to Stakeholders
The numerous testimonials from participant school children that are contained in 100 Flowers to Bloom proves the impact that this project had on them. The partnership between Dublin Port Company has continued with Fire Station Artist Studios managing a large-scale public art commission between 2008-11 which will seek to continue the Port’s engagement with its people and communities.
'100 Flowers to Bloom'‚ by David Jacques