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AI in Creative Arts: Opening new doors into imaginative realms

How can the creative industries spark real transformation, and what positive role can AI play in the sector? At UCD, (opens in a new window)Professor PJ Mathews, Director of the UCD Creative Futures Academy, is pioneering bold new approaches that invite artists and performers to experiment at the frontier where creativity meets emerging technology. As AI tools evolve at remarkable speed, our community is exploring how practitioners in the creative and performing arts can meaningfully engage with these innovations, expanding their capacity to imagine, design, and craft the cultural experiences of the future.

Through initiatives within UCD College of Arts and Humanities and UCD Creative Futures Academy, our experts are developing new pedagogies that nurture critical thinking, deepen interdisciplinary collaboration, and strengthen connections with the wider creative sector. Central to this work are initiatives such as the development of an AI toolbox to offer practical, accessible resources that empower creatives to unlock new modes of expression and push open doors to new imaginative realms.

UCD CFA: Building innovative careers in the creative sector

Prof PJ Mathews is a founding member of the Creative Futures Academy - a groundbreaking partnership with NCAD and IADT Dun Laoghaire. He is Director of the (opens in a new window)CFA at University College Dublin, where he is a Professor of Irish Literature, Drama and Culture. He leads the Engaged Creativity research strand for UCD College of Arts and Humanities, and is Chair of the UCD Council of Creative Fellows.

UCD Creative Futures Academy is helping to evolve the creative industries through innovation, collaboration, partnership with industry and experimental spaces including the Trapdoor theatre and the Creative Arts Research Lab (CARL). The Trapdoor provides a flexible, technology-enabled environment where performers and digital creatives can prototype new forms of storytelling and collaborate across disciplines in real time. Meanwhile, the CARL acts as an incubator for practice-based research, supporting projects that push artistic boundaries and generate new methodologies for creative production and social engagement.

Learn more at (opens in a new window)creativefuturesacademy.ie.

Beyond its physical infrastructure, UCD Creative Futures Academy seeks to forge deep partnerships with the creative sector, giving students and researchers access to leading creative organisations and cultural institutions. These collaborations will help shape future-focused curricula, open pathways for co-designed projects, and ensure graduates are equipped with the skills and mindsets needed to thrive in rapidly evolving creative fields.

Through this blend of innovation, interdisciplinary learning, industry engagement, and experimental practice, UCD CFA is not just responding to changes in the creative industries but it is actively helping to drive them, in collaboration with our partners in IADT and NCAD. 

Supporting climate transition through narrative and culture

UCD CFA is a partner in Europe's biggest and leading climate innovation programme, (opens in a new window)Climate KIC, whose work in Ireland to support the argi-food sector's emissions reduction targets is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Climate KIC orchestrates place-based transformations that ground climate action at the local level, using a deep demonstration methodology to affect meaningful, sustainable transition in Irish agriculture. Prof Mathews led a project to explore narratives around agriculture and food systems and how they can help build support to accelerate the climate transition - using culture to drive culture change.

Find out more (opens in a new window)about Climate KIC in Ireland. Read the article (opens in a new window)'Finding common ground: how do we make the case for climate action in agriculture?' 

PJ Mathews recognised as Thought Leader in RDS Vision 300 series

As it approaches its 300th anniversary, the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) has created a series to give Irish and international thought leaders 300 seconds to inspire change, recognising opportunities in their individual area of expertise addressing the climate change challenge of the next decade and beyond.

With the insight of Prof PJ Mathews, specifically in his role within Climate KIC, this video explores the deep-rooted connection between culture and agriculture, examining how this historic relationship can serve as a powerful case study for Ireland’s role in addressing climate change.

Watch the Climate KIC webinar: (opens in a new window)Reframing Food Futures; agriculture and climate transition in Ireland

Creative Pedagogies in Practice: Case studies from Creative Arts

In the digital age when university students have unprecedented access to information, knowledge base, creative tools, data sets, networks of connectivity, and AI, UCD College of Arts and Humanities experts are evolving approaches to teaching and learning that emphasises creativity as a core skill, not just an outcome - with many new programmes including a new Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative and Cultural Industries. 

Their collection of case studies gives accounts of experiential learning through game play; new approaches to digital literacy; cross-institutional collaboration; student self-expression through creative practice; creative deployment of industry professionals in the university; the use of the university campus as an experimental lab; the value of Artists-in-Residence; technical skills development; and collaboration with national cultural institutions.

(opens in a new window)See the publication. 

'In Time: Donal Lunny' captures creative process of an Irish icon

Produced by South Wind Blows in association with UCD, and directed by Emmy Award-winning Nuala O’Connor, In Time tells the story of Dónal Lunny, one of the most iconic and influential Irish musicians of his generation. The film brings us into the life and creative process of this unique artist whose influence and impact on Irish traditional music has been both enduring and far-reaching. 

A major feature documentary, it premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh in July 2025, will have its US premiere at (opens in a new window)Capital Irish Film Festival in Washington DC in February 2026, and is due for mainstream broadcast on RTE television in late 2026.

Read the article. 

UCD: Ireland's leader in Engaged Creativity

Building on the deep creative heritage of UCD Arts and Humanities, the creative energy of Dublin, and the international cultural reputation of Ireland, the college's Engaged Creativity research strand seeks to develop world-class creative talent, to foster practice-based research, to bring creative approaches to complex research questions and social problems, and to foster impactful engagement with communities outside the academy. The strand incorporates research by practice and innovative approaches to practice and performance across disciplines, including creative writing, drama, film, music, and digital content creation. Researchers in this strand also bring disciplinary focus to thematic areas such as cultural heritage, environmental humanities, social transformation, and digital innovation. 

Visit UCD College of Arts and Humanities to learn about the researchers, programmes and centres in this field. 

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