Call for Applications: Artist Awards 2024 in Ireland

Award Categories

• Creative Ageing Writing Bursary 2024
  • The Age & Opportunity Creative Ageing Writing Bursary aims to generate discussion, debate and knowledge about the growing arts and ageing sector in Ireland. The recipient of this bursary is required to write an essay reflecting on their practice as an artist, writer, or arts worker; their experiences working with older people in the arts; or other ideas relating to the arts and ageing that influence their work, thinking and research (please note by writer they do not necessarily mean literary writer).
  • This essay will be published on the Age & Opportunity and Bealtaine websites, and shared widely amongst the arts and ageing sector.
  • It is hoped that through offering time and space for an artist to reflect on these ideas, the resulting essay will become a useful resource for people who work with or are thinking of working with older people (including older artists), while generating discussion and debate about this area of work. In the coming years, they hope to contribute to this growing body of knowledge of the arts and ageing in Ireland as they continue to offer this award.
• Professional Development Artist Award 2024
  • Developing as an artist is a lifelong commitment, and Age & Opportunity Arts is particularly committed to supporting new opportunities for older artists as they continue to hone their creative practice or develop expertise in other artforms.
  • The Professional Development Artist Award is launched to support the development needs of older artists. Through this award, older artists are encouraged to seek out further learning, training, research, or other activities that benefit their career and practice.
• Emerging Artist Award 2024
  • As part of continuing work to support older artists at every stage of their career, Age & Opportunity launched the Emerging Artist Bursary in 2022 to encourage those at an early stage in their career. There can be many barriers preventing people to take up artistic practice at a younger age, and Age & Opportunity recognises that there is no age limit on ‘emerging’. This award is also important in how it promotes the concept of lifelong learning and the ability they all have to grow at any age.
  • Through this award Age & Opportunity Arts would like to celebrate an exciting, up-and-coming artist aged 50+ who shows dedication and determination as they embark on a new path to becoming a professional artist. This award can be put towards activities that develop their practice further or the creation of new work.

Award Details

• One award of €1000 will be made to the successful applicant.

Eligibility Criteria

• Is working in any artform and based in the Republic of Ireland;
• Acknowledges they are solely responsibility for ensuring they have Public Liability Insurance cover.
• Emerging Artist Bursary 2024
  • The Age & Opportunity Emerging Artist Bursary will be offered to a professional artist, (working in any artform) aged 50 + who:
    • is at an early and pivotal stage in their career as demonstrated in their application (as demonstrated through the application form and CV);
    • has a demonstrated intention to pursue a professional practice
• Professional Development Artist Award 2024
  • The Age & Opportunity Professional Development Artist Award will be offered to a professional artist, (working in any artform) aged 50 + based in the Republic of Ireland who:
    • has membership of a professional representative organisation or equivalent (i.e. Visual Artists Ireland, Film Director’s Ireland, Association of Irish Composers etc.);
    • has a demonstrated intention to develop their practice.
• Creative Ageing Writing Bursary 2024
  • The Age & Opportunity Creative Ageing Writing Bursary will be offered to:
    • a professional arts worker;
    • a writer working in any field (this does not necessarily mean a literary writer).

For more information, visit Age & Opportunity.