Open Call for Dublin City Council Historians in Residence

Timeline:

• Open call issued: 16 June 2025
• Deadline for submission of application: 31 July 2025
• Interviews of shortlisted historians: w/c 01 September 2025
• Issue of contracts: 01 October 2025
• Residency dates: 2 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 (c. three days per week for 48 weeks over each 52 week period each of the 2 years)
  

About the Residencies

The Dublin City Historians in Residence programme began in spring 2017 as an initiative of Dublin City Council. Since then, the Historians in Residence have worked in neighbourhoods across Dublin City to encourage local people to engage with history, and to promote its sources and discussion, especially the historical collections in Dublin City Library & Archive. In 2020 we added a sixth Historian in Residence, Dublin’s first Historian in Residence for Children.

Five historians will each work across a designated local area of Dublin City Council, connecting with local library branches, Dublin City Council Local Area Offices, community groups, schools, and the wider public, to make history and historical sources accessible and enjoyable for all.

The five areas and designated libraries are:

• Dublin Central area: Phibsboro Library; Central Library; and Charleville Mall Library.
• Dublin North Central area: Marino Library; Coolock Library; Raheny Library; and Donaghmede Library.
• Dublin North West area: Drumcondra Library; Cabra Library; Ballymun Library; and Finglas Library.
• Dublin South East area: Pearse Street Library; Ringsend Library; Pembroke Library; Terenure Library; and Rathmines Library.
• Dublin South Central area: Inchicore Library; Walkinstown Library; Ballyfermot Library; Kevin Street Library; and Dolphin’s Barn Library.

The Historian in Residence for Children will be responsible for creating and delivering a programme of workshops, activations and encounters for children and young people from 0 to 16 across Dublin City. These activities should encourage access to history for children, using innovative, creative and inspiring methods of engagement. The programme provides space, opportunities and resources for children to uncover the stories of the places where they live, planting seeds for a lifelong connection to the history of Dublin. Building on the work to date, they will devise and utilise activities to empower the children’s own personal journey through history, capturing their curiosity, facilitating the learning of skills which allow them to research, explore and discover their chosen areas of historical interest. They will connect with local library branches, Dublin City Council Local Area Offices, schools, youth groups, and the wider public, to make history and historical sources accessible and enjoyable for all children and young people.

Important information

• On completion of the Open Call process, six Historians in Residence will be appointed. One of these will be the Historian in Residence for Children. The remaining five Historians in Residence will each be allocated to one of the five Dublin City Council administrative areas. This allocation will be made by the Project Team. Applicants should be aware that they may be allocated any of the five areas and applications should not be tailored to a particular area. Current historians are welcome to reapply but if selected will not be assigned to any geographic area where they have already worked for a period of 24 months or longer.

• The work of all six historians will be supported by the wider Culture Company team including by an overall Programme Coordinator and a Marketing Manager, who will assist in the administration and documentation of the programme, as well as promotion and audience development.

• Each selected historian will be offered a Contract for Service by Dublin City Council Culture Company for a 24 month period (subject to funding). The fee for this 24 month period (January 2026 to December 2027) will be no more than €28,500 per year based on an expectation of regular working and regular public facing hours, totalling an average of 22-24 hours in an average week. This includes the possibility of evening, daytime and weekend working, as may be needed to suit community groups. It also includes time spent on development, research, writing, preparation of public events, attendance at meetings, reporting and administration.
  
  
• Successful applicants must be available to be in person in Dublin while working on the residency (c. three days per week for 48 weeks over each 52 week period) and must be available to undertake the residency from approximately 2 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. The working pattern and programme of work will be agreed with the successful applicants.
  

Function and specification

• Deliver a programme of regular public talks/workshops/events over a variety of history subjects which can appeal to a variety of audiences and create an environment to encourage discussion about history by the public. The programme should relate to the history of Dublin city and its citizens.

• The Historian in Residence for Children will create and deliver a programme of workshops and activities with children and young people across the City which encourages access to history for children, using innovative, creative and inspiring methods of engagement. This should include workshops and longer-term co-creation projects with schools, youth groups and individuals.
  
  
• Work collaboratively with the Engagement Team to ensure that project activities are developed in response to what we learn from listening to people (e.g. through Tea & Chats) and to continue to build relationships at a local level with citizens, community groups, partners and potential participants.
  
  
• Develop project activities and ongoing engagement with individuals, communities and groups across the city through facilitated conversation, active listening, co-creation and other forms of creative engagement.
  
  
• Build legacy plans into programming, supporting participants’ own personal journey through history, facilitating the learning of skills which allow them to research, explore and discover their chosen areas of historical interest, according to their own interests and wishes.
  
  
• Draw on the advice and expertise of the Programme Coordinator and the wider Dublin City Council Culture Company team to promote planned public events as necessary and ensure the programme activities are linked to other Culture Company activities where relevant.
  
  
• Work collaboratively with the other Historians in Residence to build programmes together where relevant and provide peer support.
  
  
• Liaise with Dublin City Council community development offices to identify and develop relationships with target audiences.
  
  
• Work with the Programme Coordinator to ensure that accessibility is kept at the forefront of planning in all areas of your work, and have an understanding of the Culture Company's Universal Design and Accessibility Policy.
  
  
• Work in line with best practice and Dublin City Council Culture Company Child Protection, Data Protection, and Health and safety policies and ensure compliance with all financial, contractual, legal procedures.
  

Research and partnership with Dublin City Libraries

• Ensure all your activities are well-researched, and incorporate the historical collections in Dublin City Library and Archive where relevant, promoting the sources to participants and audiences.
  
  
• Work with designated branch libraries to deliver a library-based programme of events and activities
  
  
• Work with local library branches and the Dublin Festival of History team to develop events for the festival programme.
  
  
• Research and write a chapter for the annual publication, History on Your Doorstep. Contribute to the editing process, and promote the publication through your engagement.
  
  
• Actively seek out information, research and opportunities relevant to the residency.
  

Reporting and advocacy

• Maintain regular contact with the Programme Coordinator and provide updates and reporting for the programme as directed, including a monthly report (template provided), and support the collection of feedback and evaluation from audience and participants. This information will be presented to our funders on a monthly basis by the Programme Coordinator.
  
  
• Work to collect feedback from participants and partners and integrate this into future programming
  
  
• Meet in person with the Programme Coordinator once a quarter and as needed to discuss long term projects, research plans, and any assistance required to meet deliverables.
  
  
• Attend monthly meetings with the Programme Coordinator, Marketing Manager, Head of Creative Engagement of the Culture Company to update on your work and complete reports with updates as requested.
  
  
• Develop, sustain and strengthen relationships with partners and stakeholders, at all times acting as an advocate to ensure understanding of the impact of our work together and how we can add value to what they do.

• Be available for media requests or other promotional activities where possible.

Submission Requirements:

Submissions are now open, and must include the following requirements to be considered:

Please send:

1. A cover letter, two A4 pages maximum, outlining why you want this residency, and how your specific skills, knowledge and experience meet the six award criteria listed below. Please indicate if you are applying for the Historians in Residence or Historian in Residence for Children.

2. A proposal​, one A4 page maximum, with an outline of your initial ideas and a description of how you would approach the residency over 24 months, if successful.

3. An up to date CV outlining relevant experience; two A4 pages maximum.

4. Contact details of two references.

How to apply:

Applicants must submit one complete application, by email on or before midnight on 31 July 2025 with the subject line: “Application for Dublin City Council Historians in Residence”.

Please send your application by email to opencall@dublincitycouncilculturecompany.ie.

Queries can also be addressed by email to the above address. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

The required material supplied in your application will be reviewed against the criteria set out in this notice. Dublin City Council Culture Company reserves the right to short-list applicants for interview. If interviews take place, they will be held during the week of 01 September 2025. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application at this time. It will not be possible to provide application process feedback to unsuccessful applicants. The successful applicants will be notified no later than 15 September 2025 and will be issued a contract for service.

Evaluation of Submissions and Award Criteria:

Submissions will be evaluated on the basis of the most advantageous in terms of the following award criteria:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the work and ambitions of Dublin City Libraries and Dublin City Council Culture Company.

2. Demonstrate through education and/or experience, a deep knowledge of Irish and local history and have a proven track record in historical research, including familiarity with the historical collections of Dublin City Library and Archive

3. Experience devising and delivering accessible and engaging talks, workshops and other activities for broad and diverse audiences OR Experience devising and delivering accessible and engaging workshops and activities for children and young people

4. Experience of building and managing relationships with stakeholders, community groups and individuals

5. Excellent communication skills, interpersonal skills, active listening and an understanding of how to work using a people-first approach.

6. Be organised and reliable - can work independently and to deadlines.

Important contracting details:

• Each offer made under the Dublin City Council Historian in Residence is for a 24 month period and will be on a Contract for Service basis. Offers will be made subject to funding.
  
  
• Contracted historians will be considered as self-employed and will be paid a maximum fee of €28,500 ex VAT per year.
  
  
• No contract will be issued without proof of tax clearance, and/or VAT registration number where applicable.
  
  
• Garda vetting is mandatory for successful applicants via the Culture Company / Dublin City Council, and you must be cleared by the National Vetting Bureau before the work can commence.
  
  
• The successful applicants will be expected to complete an induction with the Culture Company and to participate in quarterly company-wide meetings. Relevant training such as Child Protection and Equality Training may also be offered or required.
  
  
• All publications, reports, digital content, and other outputs generated as part of the residency will be the property of Dublin City Council and Dublin City Council Culture Company, who will both own shared copyright in such publications, reports, digital content, and other outputs generated.
  

Other notes

Please note that Dublin City Council Culture Company is committed to developing policies and practices ensuring that accessibility, Universal Design and reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities are taken into account. Dublin City Council Culture Company is an equal opportunity employer. Please see our Equal Opportunities Policy here.

Please note that both the museum at 14 Henrietta Street and Richmond Barracks are Part M access compliant, and the offices of Dublin City Council Culture Company in both have limited physical access. Reasonable accommodation of access requirements will be made for successful applicants.

In the interests of promoting accessibility all applicants who are invited for an interview will receive the interview questions and/or tasks in advance to allow everyone to prepare fully for the interview.

Interviews will take place in an accessible location. We are committed to respecting and protecting your privacy. We retain several kinds of personal data about our prospective employees and contractors so we can manage the recruitment and selection process effectively and efficiently and meet our legal obligations. Please see our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants here.

About Dublin City Council Culture Company

Dublin City Council Culture Company runs cultural initiatives and buildings across the city for, and with, the people of Dublin. Collaborating with citizens, communities, cultural organisations, businesses, and Dublin City Council itself, the company’s work is focused on embedding cultural experiences and increasing cultural participation throughout Dublin’s neighbourhoods. We connect people and communities through culture and conversation. When people feel connected to their local area they feel safer and stronger, and are healthier.

For more information, see www.dublincitycouncilculturecompany.ie

About Dublin City Libraries

Dublin City Libraries (DCL) is Ireland’s largest library service, with responsibility for the delivery of public library, information and archive services to a resident population of over half a million people. In normal times our 21 branch libraries attract over 3 million visitors a year, representing one of the City Council’s most inclusive cultural services.

Through our collections, resources and cultural programmes, we provide free and equal access to information, ideas and a range of learning and self-development opportunities, targeted to meet the needs and interests of people at all ages, stages and levels of ability.

For more information, see www.dublincity.ie/residential/libraries