Fingal County Council Announce Artists Support Scheme 2022

Funding increased 100% since 2020                                  

Fingal County Council invites applications for the Artists’ Support Scheme 2022. This strand of funding, which has increased again this year, allows professional artists to avail of an award up to €5,000 towards travel/professional development opportunities, a residency or towards the development of work.

The objective of the Artists’ Support Scheme is to support individual professional artists from Fingal to develop their artistic practice. The award, with a total combined fund of €200,000, is open to practising artists at all stages in their professional careers working in music, visual art, drama, literature & dance. To be eligible to apply, applicants must have been born, have studied, or currently reside in the Fingal administrative area.

The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh commented “This is a very exciting time for the arts as we emerge from a difficult time for the sector. I am confident the 2022 funding opportunity will be of great benefit to our artists and will nurture and encourage artistic excellence in Fingal.”

Speaking about the award, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly said “I am delighted to announce the 2022 funding scheme, which enables Fingal based artists to develop their professional arts practice. Last year 89 applicants working in diverse disciplines were awarded a combined total of €150,000 through this bursary strand. The increase in funding again this year reflects the Council’s continued commitment to support and invest in its artists.

Director of Services, Emer O’ Gorman said, “Fingal County Council recognises and values the important role of the arts and artists in our society and is very pleased to provide funding to professional artists through this essential scheme.”

Aerialist and artist, Emily Aoibheann McDonnell was among the 89 artists awarded under the Artists’ Support Scheme in 2021. The funding she received was used towards the research and development of a new ambitious work combining aerial dance and digital technologies. McDonnell stated "Fingal's Artist's Support Scheme allowed me to collaborate with artists Liing Heaney and Rob Mirolo, as well as technical experts, to combine aerial dance and digital technology for a new experimental artwork. The funding allowed us time to work together, enhance our technical expertise and bring together elements of dance, digital art, illustration, animation and technology in exciting, beautiful ways. Although this phase of work focused on research and artistic process, we plan to finish and share our artwork with audiences through film and performance in the future."

The Artists’ Support Scheme funding is for projects/initiatives which will take place from 1 May – 31 December 2022.  Closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 25 February 2022 at 4pm.

For further information and to apply please see www.fingalarts.ie/news or www.fingal.ie/arts https://submit.link/Cy 

Alternatively, please contact Eoghan Finn at Fingal Arts Office by email at [email protected] or by phone on 087 773 8427.

Image credits:

All images provided courtesy of the artist.

Emily Aoibheann Headshot by photographer Emilia Pasón

Turrus / A Simulated Swan by Emily Aoibheann and Liing Heaney, 2021

Emily Aoibheann, Sorry Gold at Project Arts Centre, Dublin, 2019, Photo by Eoin Kirwan 

About Emily Aoibheann McDonnell

Emily Aoibheann is an artist, aerialist and artistic mentor. With foundational expertise in music, performance and aerial dance, her varied background leads to creative, collaborative and original integration of multiple art forms. Her work in 2021 is supported and funded by the Arts Council, Fingal County Council, Dance Ireland and Courthouse Arts Centre, Co. Wicklow. My practice is interpersonal, resourceful and spatial, realised with a broad team of collaborators. The work is strongly influenced by artistic and technical elements of aerial dance and circus, inspired by a decade of creating work in these art forms. I have a specific interest in architecture and exploration of space(s), material experimentation and the symbiosis of human, object and environment. With the body placed at the centre of my work, I use acts of permissive and playful irreverence to explore kinetic, energetic and structural transformation. This can naturally but not exclusively extend to include physical and emotional extremes in performance. 

Works: Object Piggy (2013-2015); Papaveracea (2015); Movement, Material and Performance (research 2016 - 2018); Sorry Gold (2019); Mother of Pearl (2019). Director of PaperDolls (2010-2013); Director of Cat's Paw Experimental Aerial Dance Meeting; Founder and Director Creation Aerial; Artist in Residence at The Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow, ongoing since 2018.