Creative Spark

Creative Spark is thrilled to present Bailiú, a group exhibition celebrating the artists from our 2025/26 Artist-in-Residence Programme.

Launch Night: Thursday, 8th October 2026 at 7pm
An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk

Exhibition runs from 9th October – 7th November 2026, Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm

Craft Café: Connect. Learn. Create.
Join us for a dynamic and inspiring day of honest insights, real success stories, and practical advice from expert craftspeople and creative practitioners.

Book here:https://ow.ly/ggtm50ZTXto

Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow an established practice, Craft Café is designed to help you move your creative career forward — from funding applications and developing your practice to growing your creative business and building valuable connections.

What to expect:
Spotlight Speakers — hear valuable perspectives and experiences from across the craft and design sector.

Maker Spotlight — meet a selected designer-maker and discover their practice, challenges, achievements, and journey.

Networking Lunch — connect with fellow makers, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

A welcoming Craft Café atmosphere — an informal space to learn, reflect, recharge, and leave with fresh ideas and renewed motivation.

Craft Café is part of Craftwork 4.0 All, an international and intercultural co-creation platform bringing together 12 organisations from 12 countries. The project supports emerging craft artists and practitioners through collaboration, professional development, promotion, and opportunities to connect across Europe.

Come along, share your experience, meet your creative community, and leave inspired to take the next step in your practice.

Learn. Connect. Create.

Access Creative Spark’s fully equipped Print Studio and work with professional-grade printmaking facilities. Ideal for artists looking to produce high-quality work in a supportive and well-resourced environment.
Link: www.creativespark.ie/print-studio.html

Introduction to Laser Cutting

A 3-hour hands-on masterclass for anyone curious about laser cutting. No previous experience is needed.

You'll learn how a laser cutter works, get comfortable using it safely, and create your own small piece that you can cut and finish during the session.

This is a relaxed, practical introduction to laser cutting — giving you the opportunity to try something new and explore how the technology could fit into your own craft, design work or business ideas.

Click here to sign up: https://creativespark.ie/events/event/introduction-to-laser-cutting-bc4ef

Discover how the global FabLab network helps innovators turn ideas into reality.

Explore cutting-edge digital fabrication tools, see real-world prototypes, and learn how rapid, local manufacturing can reduce risk, accelerate product development, and unlock new opportunities for your organisation.

From idea to prototype—faster, smarter, and closer to home.

Click here to sign-up: https://www.factoryxchange.ie/product-page/introduction-to-the-fablab-innovation-network

Celebrate 10 years of International Repair Day with us at our relaxed Repair Café at Creative Spark HQ on Saturday, 17 Oct 2026 , 10am–1pm.

Bring along 1–3 small household items and team up with our volunteer fixers to diagnose and repair them together — we can usually fix one item per person.

What you can bring:
📷 Cameras - Fix your old camera at our camera repair station
🧵 Textiles & clothing – seams, buttons, small tears
🪵 Small wooden items – chairs, toys, shelves (repairs only)
⚡ Small electricals – kitchen items (no laptops or large appliances)

How it works:
This isn’t a drop-off service — you stay with your item and learn by doing. Repairs aren’t guaranteed and some items may be declined for safety or complexity.

Important:
• One item fixed per person (if there’s time, you can re-join the queue).
• Volunteers aren’t liable for damage; all work is at your own risk.
• Please follow safety guidance on the day.

Click here to sign up now: https://creativespark.ie/events/event/repair-cafe-october-2026-72922

Introduction to Vector Design with Inkscape

This 3-hour hands-on online masterclass is ideal for anyone new to digital drawing and vector graphics. No experience needed.

You'll learn the main tools in Inkscape to draw, edit and organise clean vector shapes, then prepare and export files suitable for digital fabrication processes such as laser cutting and vinyl cutting.

You'll finish with a simple vector design, a clear understanding of how vector graphics work, and the confidence to continue using Inkscape for your own projects.

Click here to sign up: https://creativespark.ie/events/event/introduction-to-vector-design-with-inkscape-1b4cc

Turn your ideas into reality with 3D CAD design.

This hands-on course teaches the essentials of parametric CAD using Fusion 360, helping you move from sketches to manufacturable 3D models. Learn the core tools and workflows used for 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC machining.

Rather than overwhelming you with advanced features, we focus on the vital 20% of Fusion 360 that enables you to create 80% of everyday designs—giving you practical skills you can use immediately.

Click here to sign up: https://www.factoryxchange.ie/product-page/3d-cad-for-prototyping-and-digital-fabrication

Creative Spark is delighted to announce the launch of Bold Frontiers Festival with Bold Frontiers Art Show, opening at the Creative Spark Downtown Hub on Thursday 8th October.

Running from Friday 9th to Thursday 29th October, this cowboy-punk themed group exhibition brings together a diverse mix of local and international visual artists to explore the idea of the frontier — the edges, borderlands and places where the rules become a little blurred.

Dundalk, a border town known, for better or worse, as ‘El Paso’, provides the perfect setting for an exhibition and festival that celebrates the creative possibilities found at the margins.

The exhibition will officially launch Bold Frontiers Festival, with a programme of live music and events taking place from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th October.

Artists:
Christine Agnew
Úna Curley
Paddy Critchley
Siobhán Donlon
Aoife Edwards
Stephen Hurley
Jay Lee
Colleen Eilís Murphy
Etaoin O'Reilly
Laura Ní Shúilleabháin