IADT and Royal Irish Academy of Music Announce Strategic Partnership
Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) and the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a new strategic partnership focused on collaborative creative education, interdisciplinary practice, and research.
The agreement sets out a framework for non-exclusive collaboration between the two institutions, grounded in shared values of student-centered learning, artistic innovation, and academic excellence. Through this partnership, IADT and RIAM will work together to develop meaningful opportunities for students and staff across a range of creative and pedagogical contexts.
L-R: Rónán Ó’Muirthile, Head of Faculty IADT, Deborah Kelleher, Director RIAM, David Smith, President IADT, Kathleen Tynan, RIAM Head of Vocal Studies and Opera, Peter O’Brien, Lecturer IADT, Clare Barman, Lecturer IADT, Shirley Casey, Lecturer IADT
Building on a long-established relationship between IADT and RIAM, including a successful annual opera collaboration, the partnership will formalise and extend joint activity across a range of creative and educational areas. Key areas of collaboration will include student-led creative projects, particularly in stage and set design, costume, make-up, media production, and visual storytelling, alongside collaborative opera and performance-based initiatives at RIAM. The partnership also provides for academic staff exchange, guest lecturing, interdisciplinary curriculum development, and joint research in creative pedagogy and practice-based inquiry.
Public-facing events, exhibitions, and performances may also form part of the collaboration, offering opportunities to showcase cross-institutional work and strengthen engagement with wider audiences.
David Smith, President IADT remarked: “This partnership with the Royal Irish Academy of Music reflects IADT’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world creative learning. By working together, we can offer our students rich, authentic experiences while advancing innovation in arts education and research.”
To support the development and governance of the partnership, IADT and RIAM will establish a Joint Collaboration Task Force, comprising representatives from both institutions. The Task Force will scope and prioritise opportunities, coordinate planning and communications, support the delivery of joint projects, and guide the ongoing evolution of the collaboration.
Deborah Kelleher, Director RIAM said: “We are delighted to formalise this collaboration with IADT, reaffirming our long-standing relationship. This MoU creates a strong foundation on which we hope to build our shared artistic exploration and pedagogical exchange, enabling our students and staff to work across disciplines and expand the creative possibilities of performance and design.”
Both institutions have committed to principles of reciprocity, flexibility, academic integrity, and student-centered learning. The partnership will be reviewed annually to ensure quality, impact, and alignment with institutional goals, with feedback from participants informing future development.
The Memorandum of Understanding will operate for an initial period of three academic years, with scope to deepen and expand collaboration based on experience, opportunity, and mutual benefit.
About IADT
Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) is Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across art, design, media, film, and enterprise.
About RIAM
The Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) is Ireland’s premier conservatoire, dedicated to excellence in music performance, composition, pedagogy, and research, and to nurturing the next generation of musicians and creative practitioners.