Fingal County Council’s Arts Office continues to support professional Fingal artists during the Covid Crisis through a range of initiatives

In addition to offering ongoing one-to-one clinic with artists, the office is delighted to announce supports for both professional writers and visual artists.

In partnership with Graphic Studio Dublin, the Council is offering a fine art print residency for a professional artist at any stage of their career, working in any discipline, who is interested in exploring print processes.  The two-week long residency will provide an ideal environment for the development of a creative project in printmaking working with a master printer. The closing date for this award is Thursday, April 30 2020 at 4pm.

To support our writers in the County, they have partnered with Words Ireland to offer a mentorship programme. The mentoring is open to emerging and published writers who want to develop their work and consists of four meetings with an experienced writer over a period of up to approximately six months. The closing date for this award is Monday, May 4 2020 at 12 noon.

Finally, the Council is pleased to announce the Loughshinny Boathouse Artists’ Studio Open Call. The recently restored former boathouse is in the beautiful setting of Loughshinny, a coastal village that lies between Rush and Skerries.

The dramatic location of the boathouse on the water’s edge and at one end of the harbour offers a unique fully subsidised workspace for professional artists. The studio, which is non-residential, is available for three months to one year from January 2021 and is open to Irish and international artists at all stages in their professional careers, working in all disciplines. The objective of the studio is to provide a working space for professional artists to develop their artistic practice within the rural context of Fingal. The closing date for this award is Friday, July 31 at 4pm.

Cllr Aaron O’Rourke, chair of the Community Development, Heritage, Culture and Creativity SPC said: “Fingal County Council is a strong supporter of those who bring culture and the Arts to the fore and it is imperative to ensure that artists can avail of various options designed to help them achieve creative prospects during this unprecedented period. We send our solidarity to all artists and recognise their sacrifices at this time.”

Sarah O’Neill Deputy Arts Officer said: “These are deeply worrying and challenging times for artists many of whom have lost their income. We are aware this very difficult situation and want to reassure artists that they can rely on our continued support through professional development opportunities.”

Director of Community & Housing Margaret Geraghty added: “It is important now more than ever that Fingal County Council continue to work in supporting all those individuals and organisations that make a positive contribution to the cultural life of Fingal.”

For further information on any of the opportunities please log onto www.fingalarts.ie or www.fingal.ie/arts.