Monday, 22.02.2010
Dublin college to get new film school

Work is expected to begin this summer on a new national film school in Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) in Dublin after the Minster for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD, today sent the project out to tender.

The new 1,315sq/m film school will accommodate 385 students, with courses in film, television and radio brought together in one building.

It is expected to take a year to complete the project.

Minister O’Keeffe said existing the National Film School has produced a consistently high level of achievement for its student films nationally and internationally.

‘Ireland has shown creativity and flair in film-making in the past and many of IADT’s students have showcased their work at prestigious festivals here and abroad.

‘I want IADT to build on that record and the new facilities I have approved for tender today will produce the next generation of Irish film-makers of domestic and international renown,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

IADT’s existing television studio has been adapted from an assembly hall in the original Quadrangle Building.

The 20-year-old equipment is no longer appropriate for the training of graduates in today’s broadcasting industry.

‘The new film school will have a dedicated industry-standard television and film studio while the existing studio can then be refurbished for use as a bluescreen and digital “black box” facility.

‘The radio base is in a portacabin while the radio newsroom is in a concrete shed with only high-level windows.

‘Clearly, this is unsuitabe so the new film school will consolidate media-related disciplines in modern state-of-the-art facilities,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

The new National Film School project was subjected to a rigorous assessment under the Government’s capital appraisal guidelines.

Student numbers in IADT have risen from 1,600 in the 2007/08 academic year to almost 2,200 this year.

‘The new film school will offer modern facilities for the greater numbers of students enrolling in IADT,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

Separately, work is expected to start at the end of this year on a 4,200sq/m digital media teaching building for 500 IADT students.

The project is in the first bundle of the Government’s public private partnership plan for third-level institutions.

Click here to read more about third level courses in IADT.