Communication
Selected Writing
Book (forthcoming): The River – A Conversation on Creative Cartography in Social Practice, Fiona Whelan and Ciaran Smyth, 2026.
Book chapter: ‘Collaborative Arts Practice Through the Lens of Power: A methodological framework exploring inequality with young people and adults in Dublin’s south inner-city’, book chapter in Contemporary Socially Engaged Art Practice in Ireland by Cork University Press, 2026
Book Review of The Lure of the Social by Gretchen Coombs in Art & the Public Sphere Volume 12, Number 2, 2024.
Booklet: Listening, Interpretation, Colonisation and Decentering – Reflections on With For About 2023: Care and the Commons, HeartOfGlass.org.uk.
Journal Article: ‘Boys in the Making: An Arts and Education Programme in Conversation with “the Biology of Adversity and Resilience”’ cowritten with Kevin Ryan as Two Fuse in Journal of Political Power, 2022.
Article: ‘What Does He Need? IMMA on what it means to be a man’, RTÉ Culture online, 15 Apr. 2022.
Article: ‘Inside The Apology – artists tackle Ireland’s housing crisis’, RTÉ Culture online, 21 Feb. 2022.
Book chapter: ‘Maintaining a critical approach to collaborative art and youth work practice in neoliberal times’, co-written with Jim Lawlor, in Arts, Culture and Community Development, Policy Press, Bristol, 2021.
Article: ‘What Does He Need? – Reflections on a cross-sectorial and transdisciplinary project unfolding in public’, Art & the Public Sphere, 9:1&2, Intellect, 2021.
PhD: Reconfiguring Systemic Power Relations – A Collaborative Practice-Based Exploration of Inequality with Young People and Adults in Dublin, with TU Dublin, 2019.
Book chapter: ‘A Dublin-Based MA in Flux’, in Uncertain Patterns. Teaching & Learning Socially Engaged Art, by HEAD, Geneva, 2019.
Book: Freedom?, part of ‘Sireacht: Longings for another Ireland’, cowritten with Kevin Ryan as Two Fuse, Cork University Press, 2018.
Journal article: ‘Through the Lens of Power: An Arts-Based Exploration of Power Relations with Young People in Dublin’, in International Journal of Art and Design Education, 37(4), Nov. 2018.
Book chapter: ‘The Listening Workshop’ in Art as Social Action – An Introduction to the Principles and Practices of Teaching Social Practice Art, by Gregory Sholette, Chloe Bass & SPQ, 2018.
Editor: TransActions #2 – Field and Academy: Knowledge and Counter Knowledge in Socially Engaged Art (Edited by Fiona Whelan – NCAD, Ailbhe Murphy – Create and Helen Carey – Fire Station Artists’ Studios). Published jointly by NCAD, Create and Fire Station Artists’ Studios, 2017.
See http://transactionspublication.com
Article: Reflections on FSAS 2016 Summer School, published in Fire Station Artists’ Studios Publication, 2017.
Article: ‘Embracing Complexity’,Visual Artists’ News Sheet, 2016
Journal article: Beating the Bounds of Socially-Engaged Art? A Transdisciplinary Dialogue on a Collaborative Art Project with Youth in Dublin, Ireland, Fiona Whelan & Kevin Ryan, Issue 4, Field Journal, Spring 2016.
http://field-journal.com
Editor: TransActions #1 – Dublin/Chicago (Edited by Fiona Whelan & Glenn Loughran, NCAD and Jim Duignan, Stockyard Institute). Published jointly by NCAD+UCD and Stockyard Institute Chicago, 2015.
See transactionspublication.com
Article: ‘Insider Witness’, in The Visual Artists’ News Sheet 2015.
Book: TEN: Territory, Encounter & Negotiation – A Critical Memoir by a Socially Engaged Artist, self-published, 2014.
Selected Conference Papers, Presentations and Talks
‘Reflections on Collaborative Arts and Youth Work Practice’. Presentation as part of the Creative Futures Academy (CFA) event ‘Shaping Ireland’s Creative Future: Measuring What Matters’, Royal Irish Academy Music, March 2026.
Presentation at Art Teachers Association Ireland annual conference, IMMA, Oct 2025
‘I’m not me on my own’. Presentation at Living Better Together SPACEX-Rise conference, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry UK, Nov. 2025 and SPACEX-Rise Townhall event, Home for Cooperation Nicosia, Cyprus, Sep. 2025.
‘Fiona Whelan and Ciaran Smyth – In Conversation’. Reflecting on the content and process of making The River. Moderated by Carolann Courtney’, Rua Red, Sep. 2025.
‘Boys in the Making – inside the methodology’. A presentation by Dannielle McKenna (Rialto Youth Project), Fiona Whelan (Artist and Educator) and Aaron Sunderland Carey (Artist) – a keynote address as part of the ‘Shared Learning Day’ for PME2, staff and colleagues, hosted by Dr Angela Rickard, Maynooth University, School of Education, May 2025.
‘Boys in the Making’. Presentation & panel discussion by Dannielle McKenna & Michael Byrne (Rialto Youth Project), Fiona Whelan (Artist and Educator) and Aaron Sunderland Carey (Artist), in conversation with Patrick Fox and Kate Houlton (Heart of Glass, Merseyside UK) at Arts Council England conference ‘Engaging Communities in Arts and Culture’, The Lowry, Salford, UK, April 2025.
‘Boys in the Making – On Masculinity and Method’ – A one day conference convened by Rialto Youth Project, Fiona Whelan and Ciaran Smyth, NCAD, 14 Feb 2025. See the programme and more info here.
‘Reflections on a Living Public Artwork – The forest that won’t forget’. Panel Discussion with artists John Conway and Fiona Whelan, Ray Ó Foghlú of Hometree and Ceara Martyn of 221+ Patient Support Group and Moderator Sarah Searson, as part of Earth Rising festival of Art and Ecology, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 2024.
Listen here.
‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in practice’, panel discussion at Socially Engaged Practice: Building Equity in a Divided World, The Dock, Nov. 2024
‘Not Braced for Impact – Reflections on Collaborative Arts Practice in Neo Liberal Times’, Fire Station Artists’ Studios (with UCC), 15 May 2024
‘Collectivising lived experiences towards the construction and performance of power’, Presentation at Ulster Research Salon for PhD candidates, Belfast School of Art, University of Ulster, 19 May 2023
‘What Does He Need?’ Presentation on methodology at ‘Behavioural Economics And Commoning Practices; From Cultural Value To Social Wealth’ – An international symposium as part of the Spatial Practices in Art and ArChitecture for Empathetic EXchange (SPACEX-RISE) research action, NCAD, March 2023
Multi-Story project presentation and screening of The Apology, PROJECT PROTECT PROTEST – Activism summit, Project Arts Centre, Dec. 2022
This Must Be the Place – artist talk, RHA Gallery, Oct ’22.
Presentation at ‘Participation: Making Community in Contemporary Irish Arts’, University of Rennes, France, 25 Nov ’21.
Panel member at ‘The Importance of the Arts Post-Pandemic’, TASC 20th Anniversary Event, RIA Dublin, 11 Nov ’21.
‘Arts as DNA’, panel member during ‘A Homebaked kinda day’ moderated by Jeanne van Heeswijk, online, 27 Feb ’21.
Watch at: https://homebaked.org.uk/nowhere/media_publications/a_homebaked_kinda_day_arts_as_dna/%C2%A0
‘Care as a Radical Act’ panel member at Create Networking Day, online, 9 Dec ’20.
Watch at: https://www.create-ireland.ie/publication/care-as-a-radical-act-networking-day-2020-subtitled
‘The Textual Trace – Writing and Socially Engaged Practice’, Fiona Whelan and Gretchen Coombs in conversation hosted by Create.
Watch at: https://www.create-ireland.ie/publication/the-textual-trace-writing-and-socially-engaged-practice-fiona-whelan-and-gretchen-coombs-in-conversation
‘“Rip the Script”: Performing/Witnessing Natural History of Hope’ (with Kevin Ryan as Two Fuse) at The Sexual Politics of Freedom, The Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law – NUIG, 17 Sep. ’20
‘Reconfiguring Systemic Power Relations Through Collective Acts Of Voice And Listening’, paper at 5th International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference, Trinity College, 3 May 2019.
‘Practice and Pedagogy – The Question of Artists’ Formation’ panel member at Collaborative Arts Partnership Programme: Practice and Power event, The LAB, Dublin 22 June 2018.
‘Can Young People Influence the Future of Garda Training?’, presentation at Irish Council of Civil Liberties’ event Rights-Based Policing, Dublin, 2018.
Transcript at: https://www.iccl.ie/justice/can-young-influence-policing
‘Power and (im)possibility? Socially-engaged art and Cynic practice’ (Fiona Whelan & Kevin Ryan under collective title ‘Two Fuse’), presentation at CAPPE, University of Brighton, 29 May 2018.
‘Through the lens of power – an arts based exploration of power relations with young people in Dublin’, conference paper at iJADE international conference, NCAD, 17 Nov ’17.
‘Power and Freedom in the Enterprise Society: “catch up, keep up, get ahead…”’ (Fiona Whelan & Kevin Ryan NUIG as ‘Two Fuse’) presentation at The Power of Narrative – RC 36 Interim Conference, University of Pavia, Italy, May 30-31 2017
‘Policing Dialogues’ keynote address at New Foundations in Youth Justice event, DIT Grangegorman, 29th June ‘17 2016.
‘Power Three Ways: A Place-Based Methodology’ conference paper at Mapping Spectral Traces VIII: The Place of the Wound, Dept of Geography, Maynooth University, 19 October 2016.
2016 ‘A Fair Land Discussion: Social Change through Creative Practice’, presentation, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 20 August.
‘A Durational, Practice-Based Model of Identifying Learning’, presentation at Creative Research Practices and Alternative Sites of Learning, UCD College of Social Science, 3 May 2016.
‘Policing Dialogues; a creative exploration of neighbourhood relations of power’, paper at The Geographical Turn conference hosted by NUIM Geography Dept, 2015.
‘Renegotiating Power Relationships – Who Speaks and Who Listens?’ presentation Signal Summer University, hosted by CIFAS, Brussels, 2015.
Seminar on the occasion of the Galway launch of TEN: Territory, Encounter & Negotiation, with Megan Johnston, (Curator, Educator and Director of the Model, Sligo), Megs Morley (Independent Curator, Para Institution), Deirdre O’Mahony (Artist and Centre for Creative Arts, GMIT), Jen Hesnan (Youth Arts Facilitator, Foróige Techspace), John Langan (Artist and Centre for Creative Arts, GMIT) and Fiona Whelan, GMIT, 2014.
Half day seminar on the occasion of the book launch of TEN: Territory, Encounter & Negotiation, convened by Rialto Youth Project Manager Jim Lawlor and Fiona Whelan, with contributions from John Bissett (Community Worker), Áine O’ Brien (Co-Director Counterpoints Arts), Maurice Devlin (Jean Monnet Professor & Director of the Centre for Youth Research & Development, MU), Kathleen Lynch (Professor of Equality Studies, School of Social Justice, UCD), Desmond Bell and Declan McGonagle (NCAD), Katherine Atkinson (Professional Development, CREATE), Nichola Mooney, Michael Byrne and Jim Lawlor (Rialto Youth Project) and Martin Drury (Strategic Development Director, the Arts Council), NCAD, Nov 2014.
Selected News/Reviews/Features:
Irish Farmers Journal article ‘CervicalCheck survivors still fighting for a “healing space”, Rosalind Skillen, Irish Farmers Journal, 22 April 2026
Interview about The forest that won’t forget, Ray D’Arcy show, RTÉ Radio 1, 30 April 2025
‘Young men aren’t just b****rds running around on their bikes … everyone has their own dreams’ (Re Boys in the Making exhibition at the NCAD Gallery), Patrick Freyne, Irish Times, 1 Feb 2025
New artwork unveiled in tribute to women and families affected by past CervicalCheck failings, Irish Independent, 11 Sep. 2024
Interview with artist Fiona Whelan and community worker Paul Ring re What Does He Need? exhibition at IMMA, on Arena, RTÉ Radio 1, 12 April 2022.
Interview about What Does He Need? exhibition at IMMA, with artists Fiona Whelan and Feidlim Cannon, on Artbeat, Dublin City FM, 30 March 2022.
‘IMMA presents What Does He Need?’, in Art Daily, 28 March 2022.
‘Hard-hitting performance imagines housing apology’, RTÉ News, 21 Feb. 2022.
‘Art group to perform imagined apology from the Taoiseach for the Housing Crisis’, The Journal, 21 Feb. 2022.
‘New public artworks explores what influences modern masculinity’, Enda O’ Dowd, Irish Times, 24 May 2021
What Does He Need?,Della Kilroy, Drive Time, RTÉ Radio 1, 24 May’21
‘A Poem, Co-Written by Young Men, Reveals What Shapes Their Lives’ By: Stephanie Costello, Dublin Inquirer, 7 April 2021
Charlotte McIvor, ‘What Does He Need?’ in ‘…the lives we live’ publication, Grangegorman Public Art, 2020.
Simon Barker, The European Journal of Cultural and Political Sociology (book review of Freedom?), Vol 6 (4), Nov 19
Declan McGonagle, Community Development Journal, (book review of Freedom?), 2018, Oxford University Press.
Fiona Woods, ‘A Radical Performance of World-Making’ (book review of Freedom?), Journal of Political Power, 11(3), 438-441, 2018.
Kevin Gildea, ‘Freedom? By Two Fuse Review: A Handbook Towards Change’ (book review) Irish Times, 9 June 2018.
Gerry Kearns, ‘Enduring Place’, Klaxon 6 – For an Inclusive City, published by CIFAS, Brussels, 2017 (feature on my practice).
Sharon Todd, (2017) ‘Culturally Reimagining Education: Publicity, Aesthetics and Socially Engaged Art Practice’, in Educational Philosophy and Theory, 2017 (features extensive review of The Day in Question live event).
Sarah Keating, ‘When Feminism Met Real Working-Class Lives in Rialto’ (review of Natural History of Hope), Irish Times, 28 June 2016.
RTÉ Arena, radio interview about Natural History of Hope,11 May 2016.
‘Negotiating the Territory of Socially Engaged Art’ (book review of TEN) by Megs Morley, Journal of Political Power, 9:1, 147-152, 2016.
‘TEN: Territory, Encounter & Negotiation’, (book review) by Sofia N. Gonzalez-Ayala, Irish Journal of Anthropology Vol. 18(1), 2015.
‘Project work in conflict situations in socially deprived areas’, Schattenblick, (Berlin based magazine), Feb 2012
Tonight with Vincent Browne, (feature on Policing Dialogues exhibition/residency) TV3, 28 Sep 2010
‘Young people’s tales of Garda harassment in new exhibition’, Juno McEnroe, Irish Examiner, 16 Sep 2010 (about ‘Policing Dialogues’)