Tallaght Community Arts

What Tallaght Community Arts does

Tallaght Community Arts (TCA), now branded as TCA - South Dublin Participatory Arts, is a registered Irish charity and Company Limited by Guarantee founded in 1996 that delivers community-led participatory arts programmes across South Dublin County. It operates from two venues - Rua Red South Dublin Arts Centre (where it has been a cultural tenant since 2009) and The Making Space in Mountain Park, Tallaght (reopened May 2025 following refurbishment) - and runs a portfolio of distinct programmes rather than a single product. These include DoubleTAKE Supported Arts Studio (a professional studio for 80 artists with disabilities, founded 2010) and its sister DoubleTAKE Supported Music Studio, the Doors to Elsewhere inclusive theatre ensemble for adults with disabilities (in its 15th-16th year), Creative Places Mac Uíllíam (an Arts Council research-award programme targeting Mac Uíllíam Estate residents), Creative Campus (annual site-specific emerging-artist programme partnered with NCAD Access, SDCC Arts Office and Noise Dublin), Act Up Festival (annual one-act theatre festival for secondary schools, 2026 was its 16th year), the Cultural Competency research and training programme (since 2018), and Shared Island cross-border projects such as 'To the Power of 3'. The organization is funded by a concentrated base of public-sector grants from the Arts Council of Ireland, South Dublin County Council Arts Office, and the Creative Ireland Programme; audited accounts are prepared by Browne Murphy & Hughes. Most programmes are free to participants; the only direct revenue from end users is the Doors to Elsewhere weekly workshop at €12 per class, with the sole priced programme functioning more as a participation commitment than a revenue lever.

Name

Tallaght Community Arts

Legal name

TCA CLG

Website

https://tallaght-arts.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tallaght Community Arts (TCA) is a South Dublin-based charity and Company Limited by Guarantee that delivers participatory arts programmes for people with disabilities, secondary-school students, and underserved communities, operating from Rua Red and The Making Space with grant funding from the Arts Council of Ireland and South Dublin County Council.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Community arts programs
• Participatory arts facilitation
• Inclusive theatre workshops
• Disability arts studio
• Youth arts engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallaght

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government and Arts Council Funding: Primary revenue derived from core funding and project grants from Arts Council of Ireland, South Dublin County Council Arts Office, and Creative Ireland Programme. Funded initiatives include Shared Island, Creative Places Mac Uíllíam, and various annual programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tallaght Community Arts (TCA) is a registered non-profit participatory arts organization operating in South Dublin County. It delivers multi-year community arts programs including DoubleTAKE Supported Arts Studio (a professional studio for 80 artists with disabilities), Doors to Elsewhere (inclusive theatre ensemble), Creative Places Mac Uíllíam (estate-based community arts initiative), Creative Campus (emerging artists program), Act Up Festival (secondary-school one-act theatre festival), and Cultural Competency (research and training). Programs are delivered through Rua Red and The Making Space facilities in Tallaght.

Product overview

Tallaght Community Arts (TCA) / TCA - South Dublin Participatory Arts is a proactive arts development organisation offering multiple distinct community arts programmes rather than a single unified product. Its core offerings include DoubleTAKE Supported Arts Studio (a professional studio for artists with disabilities), Doors to Elsewhere (inclusive theatre ensemble), Creative Places Mac Uíllíam (community arts programme for Mac Uíllíam Estate), Creative Campus (annual emerging artists programme), Act Up Festival (secondary school theatre festival), Cultural Competency (research and training programme), and Shared Island projects. These programmes are delivered through facilities including The Making Space and in partnership with Rua Red South Dublin Arts Centre.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DoubleTAKE Supported Arts Studio: A professional artist's studio at Rua Red dedicated to enabling people living with a disability to meet and integrate with other artists, home to 80 artist members.
• Act Up Festival
• Creative Places Mac Uíllíam
• Creative Campus
• Doors to Elsewhere
• Cultural Competency
• Shared Island

Products and services

• DoubleTAKE Supported Arts Studio A professional artist's studio at Rua Red dedicated to enabling people living with disabilities to meet and integrate with other artists; home to 80 artist members and staffed by professional Artist Mentors. Operates 9 sessions per week.
• DoubleTAKE Supported Music Studio A sister branch of DoubleTAKE Supported Arts Studio focused on music, upholding the same ethos of enabling people with disabilities to use arts to express and communicate.
• Doors to Elsewhere An inclusive theatre ensemble for adults with disabilities in South Dublin County providing weekly workshops (Fridays 11am-12:20pm at €12 per class) enabling performers to develop creative potential in acting, movement, spoken word, music and devising. Now in its 15th year.
• Creative Places Mac Uíllíam A Creative Places research project award for Mac Uíllíam Estate, building a local arts programme with local residents through creative projects led by artist teams. Includes mural projects, lantern events, and Culture Night collaborations.
• Creative Campus An annual site-specific arts programme supporting emerging artists to create work that engages diverse audiences in South Dublin County, in partnership with NCAD Access Programme, SDCC Arts Office and Noise Dublin.
• Act Up Festival Tallaght Community Arts' annual one act theatre festival for secondary schools in South Dublin County, now in its 16th year, supporting students to act, direct, tech and produce their own plays.
• Cultural Competency Programme A programme to create research, training and networking opportunities for artists and participants working in community-engaged contexts, facilitating development of participatory arts in Ireland.
• Shared Island - To the Power of 3 A creative exchange project between young people from Derry/Londonderry, Tallaght and Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, exploring cultural connection, diversity and what it means to be a young person on the island of Ireland. Engaged approximately 60 young participants.
• The Making Space A community facility in Mountain Park, Tallaght serving the local community as a place to share, create, learn, grow and enjoy creative pursuits, reopened after renovation in May 2025.
• Cruinniú na nÓg Annual national day of free arts events for young people, with TCA hosting workshops and performances for children in South Dublin.

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, flagship, regular and minor.

• Trinity College Dublin Long Room HubmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic partner for Cultural Competency symposia including Today When I Listen This Is What I Hear (2022) and SoloSIRENs Symposium (2020). Researcher Dr. Courtney Helen Grile documented Cessair project.
• National College of Art and Design (NCAD) Access ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Creative Campus program supporting graduate artists to gain community arts experience. NCAD provides graduate artist pipeline and academic framework.
• Noise DublincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Creative Campus annual site-specific arts programme supporting emerging artists in South Dublin County.
• Creative Places EnniscorthyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in To the Power of 3 Shared Island project; co-facilitates creative exchange between young people from three regions.
• FUSE Arts / Waterside Neighbourhood PartnershipflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDerry/Londonderry consortium partner in To the Power of 3 Shared Island project; coordinates young participants from Northern Ireland.
• SoFFt ProductionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction design partner for To the Power of 3 finale performances and SPECTRUM Culture Night event; leads set construction and creative design.
• Creative ConnectionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Brighter Hues mural project with Creative Places Mac Uíllíam; provided mural artist team led by Kevin Bohan.
• Noise Music South DublinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on SPECTRUM Culture Night event and Rhythms of Us Cruinniú na nÓg performance with Beats workshops and Afro Dance programming.
• Freshly Ground TheatremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitation artists Bronwen Barrett and Michelle Henry support Creative Places Mac Uíllíam programming and community workshops.
• SoloSIRENsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntercultural female-identifying theatre collective in residence at the Civic, Tallaght. Co-founded by Jenny Macdonald; TCA's Cultural Competency program frames SoloSIRENs work.
• South Dublin County PartnershipregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular local partner organization working with TCA on community arts development initiatives.
• ACT (Active Citizen Together)regularStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular local partner in community arts programming and development.
• Cheeverstown HouseregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability service provider whose residents participate in DoubleTAKE Supported Arts Studio.
• Dominic's Community CentreregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term community partner hosting DoubleTAKE visual art collaborations and youth programs.
• St. John of God's ServicesregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability services (Island Bridge, Avila, Menni, Las Granada's, Green Gables) whose clients participate in DoubleTAKE Studio.
• St. Michael's HouseregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability service provider whose clients participate in DoubleTAKE Supported Arts Studio.
• Clondalkin and Tallaght Travellers' CDPsregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity development organisations as regular partners in TCA arts programming.
• The Dyspraxia Association of IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization connecting people with dyspraxia to TCA arts programs.
• New HorizonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner in TCA programming.
• Rua Red South Dublin Arts CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural tenant location since 2009; hosts DoubleTAKE Studio, performance space, gallery exhibitions, and cafe displays for advocacy installations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Create (UK): National charity for community arts in the UK (despite the .org URL, the organisation is UK-based). Directly comparable to TCA as a participatory/community arts body delivering programs for marginalised groups including people with disabilities, with similar grant-funded operating model.
• Creative Places Enniscorthy: Arts Council Creative Places programme in Enniscorthy, County Wexford — sister initiative to TCA's Creative Places Mac Uíllíam. Directly comparable in scope (estate/community-based participatory arts), funding source, and delivery model, and an active consortium partner on the To the Power of 3 project.
• Arts & Disability Ireland: National development organisation for artists and audiences with disabilities in Ireland. Directly comparable to TCA's DoubleTAKE Studio and Doors to Elsewhere as it works across disability arts, advocacy, and inclusive programming with similar Arts Council funding sources.

Regional players

• Galway Arts Centre: Independent regional arts centre in Galway city delivering exhibitions, workshops, and community programs. Comparable to TCA's community-engaged programming model though operating in a more urbanised western catchment.
• An Tobar (Mullingar): Community arts venue operated by An Comhairle Contae an Iarmhí (Westmeath County Council arts service) in Mullingar. Comparable regional model to TCA: physical arts venue hosting workshops, school programs, and touring productions for a defined county catchment.
• Mermaid Arts Centre: Regional arts centre in Bray, County Wicklow offering community-facing programming, workshops, and exhibitions. Comparable to TCA as a county-level arts venue delivering participatory workshops and touring programming, though operated by Wicklow County Council rather than an independent nonprofit.
• Riverbank Arts Centre: Regional arts centre in Newbridge, County Kildare delivering community workshops, performances, and exhibitions. Comparable to TCA in offering a multi-program community arts model with school and youth programming under local-authority support.

Emerging players

• Graffiti Theatre Company: Cork-based theatre company focused on work for children and young people, with significant community outreach programming. Comparable to TCA's youth theatre model and school engagement, serving a different geographic catchment in Munster.
• The Ark, Dublin: Dublin-based children's arts centre delivering workshops, performances, and exhibitions specifically for children. Comparable to TCA's youth-facing programs (Act Up Festival, Cruinniú na nÓg workshops) though narrower in age range and more venue-centric.
• Barnstorm Theatre Company: Community theatre company in Kilkenny/South-East Ireland delivering workshops and youth theatre. Comparable to TCA's Act Up Festival in delivering school-based participatory theatre, though smaller scale and without disability-arts specialisation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TCArts24
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChZ54XKoFBqCZpZ8-2NwvrQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/tallaghtcommunityarts
• Instagraminstagram.com/tallaghtcommunityarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tallaght-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tallaght Community Arts