RTÉ Arts & Culture is seeking proposals that reflect and comment on life in Ireland, focusing on stories with human interest at their core and strong narratives that engage and resonate with a broad audience. We welcome proposals marking anniversaries, ambitious cultural anchor projects, and events on a national scale. We also invite independent production companies to submit ideas for high-impact, prime-time, returnable arts formats on RTÉ One, which have the potential to attract Coimisiún na Meán funding and other third-party financing, such as collaborations with national cultural institutions, organisations, or government bodies. We are looking for programme ideas with a fresh approach.
Stories of Cultural Significance – Society & History
While we are interested in commissioning one-offs or, where merited, multi-part short series about subjects from our cultural history. Our preference is for contemporary stories that bring the Arts and our Heritage squarely into the experience of younger and under-represented audiences. We are currently in production with Fighting Words with Roddy Doyle and we know there are numerous other areas where real modern and creative life collide and thrive.
We are interested in contemporary figures and stories that have significantly impacted recent Irish culture and society.
The recent Fintan O’Toole: A Life in our Times tells the story of the life and career of Fintan’s career but also that of his deep connection to the socio-political landscape of Ireland. The film delves into key events that have shaped contemporary Irish society, Similarly the upcoming Stephen Rea: Power in Performance, explores the development of his radical outlook through the work he chooses to champion and how his personal history mirrors that of a changing Ireland.
Additionally, Lady Gregory, Ireland’s First Social Influencer, a two-part series featuring actress Miriam Margolyes and Senator Lynn Ruane on a road trip retracing Lady Gregory’s life and work, successfully brought a cultural subject into the mainstream.
Personality driven Documentaries
Personality-driven documentaries can provide audiences with an appealing ‘way-in’ to big stories in Irish culture, featuring well-known faces on personal journeys with insightful commentary. The recent two-part series Tommy Tiernan’s Epic West is a prime example of personal engagement with a big subject, enhancing viewer experience rather than distracting from the subject matter. Another good example is Francis Bacon: The Outsider, presented by Adam Clayton. We are looking for presenters with a clear passion for the subject matter, whether from the past, present, or future.
Distinctive Profiles
Colm Tóibín - On Memory’s Shore is a good example of a style and approach that works well. The documentary eschewed a conventional talking heads format and brought us into the life, home, and under the skin of one of Ireland’s most successful novelists by featuring only the subject, Colm Tóibín, in an intimate and revealing portrayal. Another example is David Puttnam: The Long Way Home, a heartwarming portrait of the Oscar-winning producer and his deep connection with his adopted home, Ireland.
We are interested in other figures in contemporary Irish cultural life that could merit a similar immersive, intimate approach such as the recent portrayal of artist Imogen Stuart in Imogen, from the Heart. The audience responds well to this style of storytelling, even with lesser-known subjects such as Songs of the Open Road, a documentary on Thomas McCarthy, a singer from the travelling community. Both are honest and intimate portrayals told primarily by the subjects themselves with strong use of archive material. The key to a successful profile commission is the director’s vision—how the film elevates the subject and adds real texture to the story. We are as interested in how the story is told as in who it is about.
Big Profiles of Cultural Icons
We are interested in profiles featuring artists who have had an exceptional effect on culture and a particular generation of Irish people in recent times. We are looking for subjects that straddle the lines between entertainment, news, factual, and the arts.
Are there other iconic cultural figures whose life, work, and legacy are ready to be explored and even re-examined? Perhaps dismantling the half-truths, misconceptions, and myths that have grown up around certain figures or eras. This could extend to notable iconic cultural figures from our recent past and present day. Recent feature documentary releases like Nothing Compares and Love Yourself Today are strong examples of the kind of story and storytelling that RTÉ would like to support. Are there issues and news stories bubbling up that might be told in a different way to the news agenda? The recent international release All The Beauty and the Bloodshed follows the life of American artist Nan Goldin and the fall of the Sackler family. While that’s not our story to tell, where in our recent history can we find the intersection between art and society?
Gaeilge
Tá suim againn i smaointe ina bhfuil Gaeilge le cloisteáil go nádúrtha, bíodh sin sa rogha ceoil, sna h-agallaimh, an láithriú srl.
We are to hear ideas that use the Irish language as a natural part of the programme from music choice, interviews, presentation and more.
We ask, in the first instance, that producers submit ideas into the e-commissioning system Login | RTE (rtegroup.ie) under the programme category “Arts & Culture Documentary Series”
Please note: The discussion of, or initial interest in, a proposal does not represent a commitment to commission by RTÉ and should not be understood as such.
Commissioning decisions will reflect the quality of proposals received and the scheduling priorities operating at the time. RTÉ's financial position will also be a factor.
Funding should clearly detail finance plans, identifying all funding parties and the amounts committed.
