Signal Arts Centre is an artist-led gallery and work-space founded in 1990 by a group of NCAD Fine Art graduates in direct response to the Artists Association of Ireland’s (AAI) call for artists to set up their own Social Employment Schemes (now known as Community Employment Programmes - CEP). In those first few years Bray VEC co-administered the scheme with AAI Member Representation. The centre was then housed in a small two storey building on Albert Avenue and during that time the members created an exhibitions policy devised to give as many artists as possible peer reviewed opportunities to show and sell their work; developed community workshops and took part in regional and national cultural events.
In 1999 Signal became an independent not-for-profit company and moved to 1A Albert Avenue which allowed the company to provide a larger gallery and more accessible work spaces. In 2012 through a mortgage with Clan Credo the company bought the building. In subsequent years we have created a dedicated shareable ceramics room, shareable workspace, digital room, darkroom and studio through fundraising, voluntary contributions of resources and small intermittent Wicklow Co. Co. grants.
Community Employment Programme (CEP)
The CEP is designed to help people who are long-term unemployed (or otherwise disadvantaged) to get back to work by offering part-time and temporary placements in jobs based within local communities The CEP is administered by the Department of Social Protection (DSP). The DSP gives financial support in the form of allowances and funding to assist with the CEP, for example participant wages, supervisor grants, materials grants and specific skills training grants. As a CEP sponsor Signal Arts Centre is the voluntary organisation which manages CE in the centre. In assessing participants suitability for the staff artist positions, we try to maintain a 60/40 ratio of graduate/non-graduate artists.
In 2021 and post-COVID the Board are looking to the future, having recently received a small grant allowing them to engage with an Architect and plan for the building of a fit-for-purpose visual arts centre. The next few years promise to be busy & exciting and we are looking for people who want to commit to that journey.
