Our Place is a long term socially engaged art project that champions the human rights of people living with intellectual disabilities, led by Artists AlanJames Burns and Sinéad McCann in collaboration with Saint John of God Liffey Services. The project creates access to creative expression, cultural spaces and employment in the cultural sector.
It positions the ideas and talents of adults with lived experience of intellectual disabilities at the centre of art-making and exhibition design.
Our place is a sound artwork that playfully explore themes of happiness, rights and belonging. Within the exhibition design there are tactile, visual and bright neon artworks that light up the space. The sound artwork is played on a multi-speaker system, that creates an immersive experience. Everyone is welcome at Our Place and accessibility is embedded into every element.
The collaboration between artists AlanJames Burns, Sinead McCann and Saint John of God Liffey Services began in 2020 as an online creative sound project entitled Sound On!
Sound On! utilised accessible audio recording and editing software, fostering creativity and digital inclusion for adults living with intellectual disability. Funded by the Arts Council of Ireland’s Artist in the Community Scheme, managed by Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts, and was exhibited online at Headway Arts UK in 2021, funded by Culture Ireland.
In 2022-2023, the project evolved into Our Place, a physical exhibition at Riverbank Arts Centre that re-imagined Sound On!, into an immersive experience of sound art, storytelling, and interactive design elements. Funded by Creative Ireland Kildare and the Arts Council of Ireland’s Artist in the Community Scheme, managed by Create, and Riverbank Arts Centre.
In 2024-2025, the Our Place team worked across Saint John of God Community Services in Dublin and Kerry, with exhibitions at the RHA Gallery, Dublin and Kerry County Museum – this iteration is part of the 2026 national tour. Following this, the Our Place team worked with Delta Centre Carlow to develop a new phase of work Our Place, Carlow 2026 for Carlow Arts Festival and VISUAL. Funded by Rethink Ireland’s Disability Participation and Awareness Fund.
Our Place, Carlow employs lead co-designers Patrick Fitzgerald and Tony Davis, supported by Saint John of God Liffey Services to deliver rights based creative workshops with people supported by Delta Services Carlow. The artwork features stories and sounds from these workshops.
Creative participants for Our Place Carlow are Chantelle Meaney (co-designer) Andrew Shanley (co-designer), Ciara Brennan, Stephanie Canavan, Aidan Collins, Gary Craig, Jordan Foley, Jack Kelly, Michelle Kenny, Racquel Kent, Paulius Maciulis, Pauric Moran, Jamie Murnane, Catherine O’Neill, Jonathon O’Regan, Philip Rowan and Adam Williamson.
Music Composition and Sound Design by Peter Power
Exhibition Design by Ciara Murnane
Assistive Technology Co-Ordinator: Sarah Gavra Boland
Commisoned by Carlow Arts Festival.
Funded by Rethink Ireland’s Disability Participation and Awareness 3.0 Fund.
Co-created with Patrick Fitzgerald, David Dean, Laura Hickey.
In collaboration with Afeefah Memon, Aaron Doherty, Chloe Larkin, Daniel Obina Moses, Dillon McKeon, Doris Delaney, Ethan Browne, Ethan Deane, Finhas Tekeste, Gary McEnroe, Ian Coleman Horgan, Jordan, Kate McNamara, Katie Mahony, Meagan Lyons, Michaela Firlong, Niamh Cronin, Palumi, Sam D’Allesandro, Sasha Fitzgerald, Tony Davis, Trines, Wiktoria Porebreska.
Music Composition and Sound Design by Peter Power
Exhibition Design by Ciara Murnane