Nominations open for Bursary Award (2nd Round) – Ireland

It focuses on providing artists with the time and resources they need to think, research, reflect, and deeply engage with their artistic practice.

Categories

• Children and Young People’s Arts Bursary Award -Round 2
  • The objective of the Children and Young People’s Arts Bursary Award is to support professional artists and arts practitioners to develop or present high quality arts experiences for or with children and young people.
  • The award aims to support individual artists and arts practitioners working in a creative capacity in any artform at any stage in their career. This includes arts facilitators, curators and programmers.
• Dance Bursary Award – Round 2
  • The objective of the Dance Bursary Award is to support professional artists at any stage of their career to develop their arts practice.
• Literature Bursary Award: English Language – Round 2
  • The objective of the English Language Literature Bursary Award is to support professional literary writers and picture-book artists to spend more time on their creative work.
• Literature Bursary Award: Irish Language – Round 2
  • The objective of the Irish Language Literature Bursary Award is to support professional writers and picture-book artists who work primarily through the Irish language to spend more time on their creative work.
• Multidisciplinary Arts Bursary Award -Round 2
  • The objective of the Multidisciplinary Arts Bursary Award is to support professional artists and arts practitioners at any stage in their career to develop their multidisciplinary practice – i.e. that which combines two or more artforms or creative practices equally.
• Music Bursary Award – Round 2
  • The objective of the Music Bursary Award is to support individual professional music artists at any stage in their career to significantly develop their arts practice.
• Theatre Bursary Award – Round 2
  • The objective of the Theatre Bursary Award is to support professional Theatre artists at any stage in their career to develop their artistic practice.
  • The focus of this award is on professional development. The award provides you with the time and resources to reflect on, interrogate and advance your artistic practice.
• Traditional Arts Bursary Award -Round 2
  • The objective of the Theatre Bursary Award is to support professional Theatre artists at any stage in their career to develop their artistic practice.
  • The focus of this award is on professional development. The award provides you with the time and resources to reflect on, interrogate and advance your artistic practice.
• Visual Arts Bursary Award – Round 2
  • The objective of the award is to support professional artists or curators at any stage of their career to develop their practice.

Award Information

• Maximum award: €20,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Children and Young People’s Arts Bursary Award
  • This award is open to professional artists and arts practitioners. A professional artist is a person who:
    • Is actively pursuing a career as an artist in any artform.
    • Considers their arts practice to be their main profession or career. This applies even if their work in the arts is not their main source of income or they have other employment.
    • Is recognised by their peers as a professional practising artist.
    • A professional arts practitioner is a person whose work contributes to the development of the arts in Ireland.
    • This award is open to professional artists and arts practitioners who are resident in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They may accept applications from applicants who are not resident in the Republic of Ireland. In this case, you must explain your application form how your proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland.
• Dance Bursary Award – Round 2
  • This award is open to professional artists and arts practitioners who are resident in the Republic of Ireland. A professional artist is someone who:
    • Actively pursues a career as an artist in any artform.
    • Considers their arts practice to be their main profession or career. This applies even if their work in the arts is not their main source of income or they have other employment.
    • Is recognised by their peers as a professional practising artist.
  • They may accept applications from applicants who are not resident in the Republic of Ireland. In this case, you must explain your application form how your proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They’ll determine the eligibility of your application based on your explanation.
• Literature Bursary Award: English Language – Round 2
  • This award is open to professional literary writers or picture-book artists who have experience working in any of the genres and forms outlined in their definition of literary writing. A professional literary writer or picture-book artist is a person who:
    • Is actively pursuing a career as a literary writer or picture-book artist.
    • Considers their arts practice to be their main profession or career. This applies even if their work in the arts is not their main source of income or they have other employment.
    • Is recognised by their peers as a professional practising artist.
  • Can demonstrate through their CV that they have professional experience as a writer of creative literary work. This usually takes the form of publication with independent, recognised journals or publishers.
  • This award is open to professional artists and arts practitioners who are resident in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They may accept applications from applicants who are not resident in the Republic of Ireland. In this case, you must explain your application form how your proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They’ll determine the eligibility of your application based on your explanation.
• Literature Bursary Award: Irish Language – Round 2
  • This award is open to professional writers or picture-book artists working in all genres and forms outlined in our definition of literary writing. You must be resident in the Republic of Ireland.
  • A professional writer or picture-book artist is a person who:
    • Is actively pursuing a career as a writer or picture-book artist Irish Language Literature Bursary Award 2025.
    • Considers their arts practice to be their main profession or career. This applies even if their work in the arts is not their main source of income or they have other employment.
  • Is recognised by their peers as a professional practising artist.
  • Can demonstrate through their CV that they have professional experience as a writer of creative work. This usually takes the form of publication with independent, recognised journals or publishers.
• Multidisciplinary Arts Bursary Award -Round 2
• • This award is open to professional multidisciplinary artists. A professional multidisciplinary artist is a person who:
    • Is actively pursuing a career as an artist across multiple artforms.
    • Considers their arts practice to be their main profession or career. This applies even if their work in the arts is not their main source of income or they have other employment.
    • Is recognised by their peers as a professional practising artist. This award is open to professional artists and arts practitioners who are resident in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They may accept applications from applicants who are not resident in the Republic of Ireland.
  • In this case, you must explain your application form how your proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They’ll determine the eligibility of your application based on your explanation.
• Music Bursary Award – Round 2
  • This award is open to professional artists and arts practitioners working in all genres of music and at all stages of their professional careers. You must be resident in the Republic of Ireland.
  • A professional artist is a person who:
    • Is actively pursuing a career as an artist.
    • Considers their arts practice to be their main profession or career. This applies even if their work in the arts is not their main source of income or they have other employment.
    • Is recognised by their peers as a professional practising artist.
    • Has a demonstrable track record in their genre of music practice.
    • They may accept applications from applicants who are not resident in the Republic of Ireland.
  • In this case, you must explain your application form how your proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They’ll determine the eligibility of your application based on your explanation.
• Theatre Bursary Award – Round 2
  • This award is open to emerging, mid-career and established professional theatre artists working in all genres of theatre. A professional artist is a person who:
    • Is actively pursuing a career as an artist.
    • Considers their arts practice to be their main profession or career. This applies even if their work in the arts is not their main source of income or they have other employment.
    • Is recognised by their peers as a professional practising artist.
  • You must demonstrate a track record with one to three relevant and recent examples of professional achievements in theatre.
  • This award is open to professional artists who are resident in the Republic of Ireland. They may accept applications from applicants who are not resident in the Republic of Ireland. In this case, you must explain your application form how your proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They’ll determine the eligibility of your application based on your explanation.
• Traditional Arts Bursary Award -Round 2
  • This award is open to emerging, mid-career and established professional theatre artists working in all genres of theatre. A professional artist is a person who:
    • Is actively pursuing a career as an artist
    • Considers their arts practice to be their main profession or career. This applies even if their work in the arts is not their main source of income or they have other employment.
    • Is recognised by their peers as a professional practising artist. You must demonstrate a track record with one to three relevant and recent examples of professional achievements in theatre.
  • This award is open to professional artists who are resident in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They may accept applications from applicants who are not resident in the Republic of Ireland. In this case, you must explain application form how your proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They’ll determine the eligibility of your application based on your explanation.
• Visual Arts Bursary Award – Round 2
  • This award is open to professional artists, arts practitioners and curators who are resident in the Republic of Ireland. A professional artist or curator is someone who:
    • Actively pursues a career as an artist or curator in any artform.
    • Considers their arts practice to be their main profession or career. This applies even if their work in the arts is not their main source of income or they have other employment.
    • Is recognised by their peers as a professional practising artist or curator.
  • They may accept applications from applicants who are not resident in the Republic of Ireland.
  • In this case, you must explain your application form how your proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland.
  • They’ll determine the eligibility of your application based on your explanation.

For more information, visit The Arts Council.