News
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Dr Con Kennedy Appointed to the Advisory Board of the Liberties Festival
2nd April 2025
The Liberties Festival is one of Ireland’s oldest festivals. It is an innovative community festival that works with local community members and professional artists to place culture, creativity, and diversity at the heart of The Liberties. Founded in the 1970s, the Liberties Festival has become a highlight of Dublin summers, offering a series of family-friendly, sporting, and community events and an exciting multi-cultural and arts programme.
Dr Kennedy is intimately connected with the community in Dublin 8, having grown up in Oliver Bond House and attended both primary and secondary schools in the area. Dr Kennedy also has intergenerational connections to the Liberties and family members living in the community. Dr Kennedy’s later father was extensively involved in community work in the area, and he now continues his father’s legacy.
Dr Kennedy will be joined on the festival's first advisory board by Laura Gibbons (StayCity), Michael Quinn (Fáilte Ireland), and Sarah Byrne (MA Student - NCAD).
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Dr Con Kennedy to host TU Dublin’s Start-Up Café
12th March 2025
The Start-up Café is a monthly meet-up where aspiring entrepreneurs connect, gain insights from guest founders & develop their business ideas.
Held on the last Thursday of each month, the Start-up Café is a free, relaxed coffee morning where aspiring entrepreneurs gather to learn, connect, and develop their business ideas. Each session features a guest entrepreneur who shares their journey, from early ideation to launch and leads a workshop to help you refine your concept. You’ll also have the chance to pitch your idea and receive valuable feedback in an open-mic session.
For more information: https://www.tudublin.ie/connect/enterprise-dev/news--events/startup-cafe/
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/march-start-up-cafe-tickets-1279029063359
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Italia Geniale—Design Enables
11th March 2025
Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Dublino invited Dr Con Kennedy to attend the launch of the exhibition Italia Geniale—Design Enables.
Italia Geniale is promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and organized by the Italian Embassy in Ireland in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Culture in Dublin, the ITA Italian Trade Agency London, and the Italian Irish Chamber of Commerce. The exhibition features over 60 iconic artefacts of Italian design, including pieces by Ferrari, Poltrona Frau, Flos, Artemide, and Olivetti.
The keynote speaker was Architect Massimo Roj from Progetto CMR. Since 2016, Massimo has been an Ambassador of Italian Design, nominated by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The exhibition is open to the public until 27th March.
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Dr Con Kennedy appointed Chairperson to the TU Dublin Faculty of Arts and Humanities Student Enrolments and Growth Committee
20th January 2025
The Student Enrolments and Growth Committee (SEGC) is a TU Dublin Faculty Executive Team subcommittee. This committee oversees and supports activities that increase student enrolment and retention across the schools and disciplines of the Faculty of Arts & Humanities.
The purpose of the SEGC is:
Review and evaluate academic portfolio trends and engage in enrolment planning
Identify progression, transfer and retention figures across programmes of all types of educational provision in the Faculty
Define and identify progression/retention at national, university, and programme levels for the purposes of this committee. At all NFQ levels provided in the Faculty
Devise and implement a plan to increase retention rates and to ensure that they meet the national retention norm. Devise a multi-annual iterative approach to enrolment and growth, each year drawing on learnings from previous years
Capture and show the diversity of our learners who are supported to progress and succeed at the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, TU Dublin (including internal recruitment form level 9). Record Inclusivity in the Faculty: We will be the most ‘accessible’ university in Ireland with the largest number of diverse learners’
Identify the significant transitions and incidents that contribute to lack of progression (e.g., transition to higher education, assessment) and develop a framework for data collection
Liaise with the Student Experience & Success committee and relevant school recruitment committees to review and plan relevant supports that will help students progress through their studies at TU Dublin
Dr Kennedy will chair this new committee and help coordinate a new research-informed strategy for the Faculty.
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Dr Con Kennedy is featured in the new TU Dublin Compendium of Undergraduate Research
17th January 2025
“Fostering Undergraduate Research: A Practice-Based Approach” is a new compendium of undergraduate research conducted at the TU Dublin Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
This Compendium presents thirteen cross-disciplinary case studies, which seek to contribute to demonstrate a better understanding of the faculty’s undergraduate research experience.
The Hidden Scientists/Hidden Creatives student-led exhibition highlights an interdisciplinary project led by Dr Con Kennedy and details how student research returns underrepresented female scientists to the public eye.
Click here for further information.
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New Research on Design Entrepreneurship Published
20th December 2024
Wiley & Sons published a new research paper by Dr Con Kennedy, 'A Business Model for Communication Design Enterprises' in the prestigious Design Management Institute Journal.
The research article addresses the perceived entrepreneurship skill deficit among designers and proposes a new business model derived from empirical research for design enterprises from the perspectives of creatives.
The article is available via open access and can be viewed here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dmj.12096
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Dr Con Kennedy Appointed Judge for Seven Mills Community Fund
19th November 2024
Seven Mills is a new town currently being built beside the Grand Canal, between Clondalkin and Lucan in Dublin 22.
The Seven Mills Community Fund is awarding grants to local community groups in the arts, music and culture, sports and recreation, education, social advocacy, wellness, neighbourhood initiatives, and social, youth, and senior sectors. The grants are structured to positively empower successful local groups working to impact Dublin 22 through their volunteering efforts.
Local groups are encouraged to apply before the application deadline on 20th December 2024.
Seven awards will be available to the successful applicants:
1 x up to €10,000
1 x up to €5,000
5 x up to €3,000
Grants will be awarded to community projects deemed innovative and clever and make a real difference for the local community.
The judging panel tasked with choosing the successful projects consists of Aideen Darcy (Neighbourhood Network), Kenneth Egan (former Olympian), Maura Winston (Cairn Homes), and Dr Con Kennedy (TU Dublin, School of Art and Design).
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Launch of the Seven Mills Community Fund. (L-R) Aideen Darcy (Neighbourhood Network), Kenneth Egan (Olympian), Maura Winston (Cairn Homes), Dr Con Kennedy (TU Dublin School of Art and Design).
Ellenfield Community College Visit
24th October 2024
As part of community outreach, Dr Kennedy will speak with pupils from Ellenfield Community College on November 22nd about a career in the creative sector. Dr Kennedy will speak with students from Ms Hayes' art class and discuss their options for study at the TU Dublin School of Art and Design.
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5X5 Vermillion Graphic Design Symposium
21st August 2024
In celebration of Vermillion Design Consultants' 25th anniversary, founder Anne Brady has organised a design symposium.
The symposium '5x5' will feature five distinguished speakers from the graphic design industry, including Jack Smyth, a Freelance Graphic Designer and Illustrator;
Mary Doherty of Red Dog Design Consultants;
Dr Con Kennedy of TU Dublin School of Art & Design;
Colin Farmer and Noelle Cooper of Unthink;
Caitlin Quinn of Vermillion Design.
Each creative will talk about four design assignments that inspired or changed their career, plus one design project they wished had never happened! Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting, this graphic design symposium is the perfect opportunity to network, learn from industry experts, and hear about career-changing projects, including some that went astray. A retrospective exhibition of Vermillion's work will be on display.
Join us for an afternoon of creativity, innovation, and inspiration at City Assembly House, 58 William St, Dublin 2, on Saturday, 14th September, 2024, from 2 pm.
This is a ticketed event, and tickets can be purchased here.
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Design Management Institute: 2024 ADMC Conference
2nd July 2024
In August, Dr Con Kennedy will speak at the Design Management Institute 2024 Academic Design Management conference at TU Delft. Dr Kennedy is the only Irish academic researcher speaking at this international design management conference and will present a research paper called "A Business Model for Communication Design Enterprises”.
See: https://www.conftool.net/dmi2024/index.php?page=browseSessions&form_session=123&presentations=show
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