Cork County Council expands Artist-in-Residence Programme

Cork County Council Library and Arts Service is announcing four new creative residencies for 2021 with support from Creative Ireland and the Arts Council. The residencies aim to facilitate access to creativity and culture for adults, children and young people in County Cork.

The Historian-in-Residence will be invited to connect with communities through local history and heritage, working in collaboration to showcase and celebrate Cork’s rich past. The Creative Producer-in-Residence scheme invites a creative worker in any arts or cultural form to work collaboratively with communities. The Filmmaker-in-Residence will work alongside the successful First Cut Film Festival, supporting young people to tell their stories through film and animation. The Writer-in-Residence will facilitate writing workshops and work with the libraries to develop writing groups, as well as developing an engaging programme of activities with other writers. The Historian-in-Residence and Creative Producer-in-Residence will both begin in June, with the Writer-in-Residence and Filmmaker-in-Residence beginning in September.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley welcomed news of the residencies saying,

“These residencies provide opportunities for artists to develop their craft while also benefiting the wider community, enabling people countywide to participate in the rich cultural life of Cork County. They are especially important at this point in time, providing us all with the opportunity to explore and express our experiences. We are indebted to the continued hard work and creativity of our artists, especially our current artists in residence, who have adapted their programmes during the pandemic to ensure that their work remains accessible.”

Cork County Council’s current Writer-in-Residence, Matthew Geden has developed online workshops to stimulate creativity countywide and for all ages and will continue his residency throughout the summer. The Council also boasts a Traditional Musician-in-Residence, Eoin O’Sullivan, who has been integral to the development of the Sliabh Luachra Music Trail, in partnership with Kerry County and Limerick City and County Councils.

The deadline for applications for all four residencies is 5pm on Friday 16th April 2021. All information and application forms are available here at www.yourcouncil.ie