Arts and Disability Connect announcement for round two 2022

The Arts Council and Arts & Disability Ireland announce the awarded artists for round two of the Arts and Disability Connect scheme 2022.

The Arts and Disability Connect scheme is designed to support artists with disabilities to be ambitious, to develop their practice and to connect with arts organisations and arts professionals in Ireland. €120,000 was awarded to artists with disabilities through the scheme in 2022.

The Arts Council and Arts & Disability Ireland are delighted to announce that €60,039.20 has been awarded to 13 artists through New Work, Research and Development, Mentoring and Training awards in round two.

“2022 has seen an exponential increase in applications to Arts and Disability Connect, up 59% on 2021! It is astounding to see the continued growth in innovative practice and ambition coming from artists with disabilities from across Ireland!”
-Pádraig Naughton, Executive Director of Arts & Disability Ireland.

New Work
New Work awards give artists the resources and time to develop and present new and ambitious work. Artists work with an arts partner to support them to get this new work seen by audiences. In this round, two artists received New Work awards.

Bridget O’Gorman is an artist and writer. Her practice explores the instability of objects and bodies. In partnership with TULCA Festival of Visual Arts, Bridget will present ‘Support Work’, an ambitious sculptural installation and collection of texts exploring access, support and creative collaborations at TULCA 2023.

Sarah Browne’s practice is concerned with spoken and unspoken, bodily experiences of knowledge, labour and justice. In partnership with Sirius Arts Centre, Sarah will present ‘LAUGH TRACK’, a film which will reflect on cinema’s representation of physical comedy and disability, and the political potential of shared laughter in the collective viewing experience. ‘LAUGH TRACK’ will be presented by Sirius  as a screening and event in November 2023 as part of their programme for Cork International Film Festival.

Research and Development Award
Research and Development awards give artists time to think, research, reflect and critically engage with their practice. In this round, three artists received Research and Development awards.

Cecilia Bullo is a visual artist based in Dublin. Cecilia will use this time to research global feminist and archetypal icons of resistance, such as Sheela-Na-Gig, Pentisilea and Medusa and their manifestation through history and to explore a new language within her work enriching her practice.

Alison Clarke is a choreographer and dance artist. Working in consultation with psychologist Nichola Crawford, Alison’s research project will focus on how artists can protect their mental health during the creative process. Topics which will be examined include dealing with feedback and rejection, creating vulnerable art and retaining emotional stability.

Daniel Fraser is a writer based in Cork. Daniel will use the time to produce a body of new work, improve technical skills and explore new approaches to methods. Through his work, Daniel will explore issues such as the role of human beings in the economies of nature and history, the politics of environment/ecology, and the effects of mental illness on language and thought. Daniel will also engage in site-specific work based on two environmental areas of Cork/West Cork.

Mentoring Award
Mentoring awards give artists the resources to develop a mentoring relationship with a more established arts professional. Artists work on an element of their practice with their mentor. In this round, five artists received Mentoring awards.

Aoife O’Ceallachain is a theatre maker based in Dublin. Aoife will work with playwright Jody O’Neill on developing her own playwriting practice. The mentorship with cover topics such as storytelling techniques and how to incorporate biography into the creative process.

Colm Higgins is a filmmaker based in Wicklow. Colm will use the award to begin working with super-8 motion picture film under the guidance of Mella Travers, CEO of The Darkroom. The mentorship will be focused around particular aspects of the format, and the creative possibilities which are opened by working with black and white film.

Mimi Seery is a visual artist based in Offaly. Mimi will work with mentor Alan James Burns on developing her artistic practice from solo work to more collaborative projects as well as working with community groups.

Robert Creed is an Irish traditional musician, composer, choral singer and poet based in Kildare. Under the mentorship of Dr. McMullan-Glossop, Roberts aim is to write a poem about music and sight loss as well as a melody line for SATB choir.

Trudie Gorman is a poet based in Dublin. Trudie will work with acclaimed poet Victoria Kennefick to create a poetry collection to be published. The focus of the mentoring sessions will be on narrative construction, editing and refining.

Training Award
Training awards give artists the resources to learn skills through courses, workshops and masterclasses facilitated by arts organisations, artists and arts professionals. In this round, three artists received Training awards.

Moss Russell is a circus performer based in Cork. Through a training plan, Moss will work with fellow circus artist Gill Byrne on improving her circus skills and technique.

Brian Lambert is a visual artist based in Dublin. Brian will work with artist Larry Byrne on developing his overall visual arts practice, from technical materials to conceptual considerations.

Bríd Flood is a visual artist based in Dublin. Bríd will partake in a 10 week graphic design course through the Dublin Institute of Design which will inform the development of her own artistic practice.

Congratulations to all of the awarded artists!

For more information about the Arts and Disability Connect scheme see www.adiarts.ie/connect

Image: A Constitution of Iron (2017/18), Video documentation of performance (Still). Filmed on location at Birmingham School of Art, UK. Image courtesy of the artist, Bridget O’Gorman