Arts Grants Awardees 2024

Kildare County Council Arts Service announces awards under Arts Grants 2024

Kildare County Council Arts Service has recently announced funding under the Arts Grants 2024, to support creative and artistic projects in County Kildare. Grant aid of €121,249 has been awarded via 16 separate schemes to 76 projects which will take place across all five of Kildare’s Municipal Districts in the year ahead.

In addition, Kildare County Council welcomed applications to the Kildare Short Grass Film Commission Award, Kildare Creative Ireland Bursary Awards 2024 and the Creative Ireland Cruinniú na nÓg Bursary Award 2024. Information on the projects funded under these awards will be published separately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full details of projects awarded under the Arts Grants 2024 can be found here:

 

First Name	Last Name	Municipal District	Brief summary of the proposed project	Award €
Arts Act Grant 2024
Angelina	Foster	Athy	Support the creation of new work, plan & prepare for Malmö Artist's Book Biennial 2024 from May 26-29th & BABE 2024. Blueway Art Studio is invited to MABB, a Swedish & International exhibition and selling platform for artworks that are inspired by the structural and conceptual properties of the book form.	1800
Celine	Hanratty	Celbridge / Leixlip	The young people of PlayActing Youth Theatre are to perform a new play for the National Theatre Connections drama festival. In March they will perform in Straffan. Their second performance is in a professional theatre in Belfast where they will meet and collaborate with young theatre-makers from across Ireland.	2050
Ciaran	Austin	Celbridge / Leixlip	Leixlip Musical and Variety Group (LMVG) is delighted to present The Producers “a Mel Brooks Musical“ 23rd to 27th April in Leixlip. This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International, and will be directed and choreographed by Claire Tighe, with musical direction from Dermot O'Callaghan.	800
clodagh	kelly	Celbridge / Leixlip	Sticks, Stones and Words. A body of artwork based on Asemic writing, using found materials (soil, stones, wood, campfire charcoal, Tar and Feathers) to create four large 4ft x 3ft 2D mixed media artwork. This artwork is part of a bigger series of artwork 'Archeology of Consciousness'	1800
Dee	Byrne	Celbridge / Leixlip	My proposed project, titled 'The Woman, The Witch, and The Wanderer,' explores witchcraft and Earth magic in Ireland. Spanning three chapters, it reflects on the witch's role in the Irish landscape, honouring nature-based spirituality from ancient to modern times.	400
Deirdre	Banfield	Celbridge / Leixlip	Our project is a collaborative effort of our group members. A large felted tapestry outlined in the shape of a footprint, representing our carbon footprint will show both the beauty and the destruction of our seas. The completed work will be 3D, weaving marine litter between multicoloured felting wools.	1500
Mark	Butler	Celbridge / Leixlip	This grant will assist me with the cost of materials and studio time to develop a new body of twelve paintings to be completed by myself, at my studio in Leixlip, by 30 November, 2024. I aim to exhibit this work publicly.	700
Orla	Gildea	Celbridge / Leixlip	To Purchase Final Draft Scriptwriting Software for writing Screenplays and attend an intensive course for 5 consecutive Saturdays at Plus College.	800
Patty	Abozaglo	Celbridge / Leixlip	This is a professional development application which aims at consolidating my dance practice, by creating space to reflect, refresh Laban Dance concepts and practice and recreate content by combining with other Art forms.	840
Ann Maria	Healy	Clane / Maynooth	To produce the second chapter of a CGI animated film work called Gabhláin Gaoithe, which follows the flight of the common swift as it traverses the dreamlike landscape of a mind whilst in a meditative state.	600
Christina	Fitzharris	Clane / Maynooth	Midlands LGBT+ will provide a 6 week Beginners Pottery Course in Sallins/ Naas for the LGBT+ Community.This will provide a space for LGBT+ adults in the area to meet each other and learn an new skill and art form.	1200
Collette	Kelly	Clane / Maynooth	In 2024 our main objectives are to:  hold summer and Christmas concerts and to compete in the Derry International choral festival in October 2024.	800
gavin	casey	Clane / Maynooth	Exhibiting in the Drogheda Arts Festival (DAF24). My application is to fund transport costs of an 18ftx8ft studio wall installation from Co.Kildare to Co Louth making it possible to include an interactive installation aspect in the exhibition.	850
Grainne	Hunt	Clane / Maynooth	This proposal is to fund a writing residency in the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris where I would stay for two weeks, to write new songs and music taking inspiration from the surrounding city, documenting and vlogging the experience as I go, for social media content, acknowledging Kildare Arts.	1000
Martina	Murphy	Clane / Maynooth	I would like to buy some time out of my novel writing and work on a screenplay that I've been trying to get beyond a first draft for a while now. Following this, I wish to engage a mentor to help me interrogate it and bring it to second draft.	1000
Niamh	Hynan	Clane / Maynooth	Complete my current new body of work 'Grounding' which consists of mixed media paintings, sculptures and an interactive installation with ASMR recordings from nature -Funding for art materials to reconnect painting on a large scale (150 x 150cm canvasses, oil paint & OMS). -Exhibiting this new work in Damer House Gallery	950
Pamela	de Bri	Clane / Maynooth	Complete body of paintings and prepare work for exhibition in Kilcock Gallery April 2025. Get the remaining paintings framed.  Photograph work. Finish research for accompanying bilingual book. Design and arrange printing of high quality art book compiling paintings and texts.	1800
Pauline	Keena	Clane / Maynooth	I am making three bodies of new work in my studio to create a solo show at the Backwater Artists Cork, in 2025. The work consists of film, tapestry and art writing. The work deals with the theme of motherhood and loss in recent Irish history.	2000
Sarah	Baxter	Clane / Maynooth	My project is to research and develop a new theatre work. This grant would allow me time research the stories and history of St.Brigid, interpret how this research could be shaped into material for theatre performance for audiences today and to further my own artistic practice.	2000
Sheena	Malone	Clane / Maynooth	I am applying for financial assistance for a solo exhibition which will take place in Athy Arts Centre in May and afterwards time to research and develop a new body of work.	1200
The	KNUCs	Clane / Maynooth	To bring our group to the Ukulele Ceili Festival in Longford, we have been invited to play on the 21st July.	800
Caroline	Darby	Kildare / Newbridge	Platinum Clubhouse and artist Emily Rainsford will collaborate to create a wall-hanging for our clubhouse around the theme of mental health recovery.Alongside this, each participant will create their own handmade book.This project will be carried out in Spring/Summer 2024 in the Platinum Clubhouse.	1500
Cian	Ó Náraigh	Kildare / Newbridge	We would like to stage a rehearsed reading of a new play Seift in the Riverbank Arts Centre. Seift is a bilingual play about political grifting, the repurposing of language and history, and the co-optation of nationalist symbols for political movements.	1200
Crooked House	Theatre Company	Kildare / Newbridge	Frámhacha is an inclusive theatre project with people with disabilities from the Kare Association from Kildare and international volunteers. By varying videos and theatre play will be created from each participant's life and commonalities, using elements of object, documentary and physical theatre. it will run from June to December 2024.	2050
Dale	Leadon-Bolger	Kildare / Newbridge	To develop a feature length screenplay of my film When Horses Run. Set on the Curragh of Kildare, this story will provide a realistic portrait of the life of the jockey, whereby intense highs are juxtaposed with catastrophic lows in the quest for victory.	2000
Kate	Murphy	Kildare / Newbridge	To support International Artist Residency with Air Guiniguada - Spain & Sasso Residency - Switzerland	1600
Liadain	Butler	Kildare / Newbridge	We would like to explore traditional irish herbal remedies while making a 2mtrs mosaic in the Community gardens in Kildare. It will be designed and started in two workshops with the body of work being carried out by the artist with drop in workshops available to the public.	1500
Marta	Iwanowska	Kildare / Newbridge	This comic project focuses on a fictional story of young people wrapped up in a mystery, with diverse cast of characters. It will be aimed at the 12+ age range, featuring designs based on the local area with themes of growing up, grief and camaraderie between unlikely friends.	1000
Noel	Hensey	Kildare / Newbridge	The Arts Act Grant is being sought to: i)To fund my participation in two international group exhibitions at; SET, London. U.K. and OUTPOST, Norwich, U.K..ii).To undertake mentoring with Ceri Hand, from the company Artist Mentor, to develop my art practice and career	2000
Olga	Anacka	Kildare / Newbridge	Learning from my recent exhibition Patching Femininity, I intend to reengage with this work and explore further the subject of a female body. My aim is to create new objects which will provide enhanced participatory experience in upcoming exhibiting opportunities.	800
Aidan	Harte	Naas	Naas is named after the wife of the Celtic sun god, Lugh of the Long arms. I wish to make a sculpture of Lugh, and research Kildare's rich mythology, producing a small body of work that could be the basis of an exhibition, perhaps in the local library.	1350
Barbara	Seery	Naas	Element15 is a contemporary arts collective based in Kildare. We are working in collaboration with poet, Jane Clarke, to respond to her poetry in various media. The results will form an exhibition to be held in The Coach House, Dublin Castle from 23 September 2024 to 19 January 2025.	2500
David	Mckeown	Naas	In 2024, The Baldonnel Singers are celebrating our 20th anniversary. To complete our year of celebration,we aim to host a major concert  in St Marys Church, provisionally in May. We aim to make this a very high profile event in the town.	800
Eimear	Deegan	Naas	Ballymore Eustace Concert Band Live at the Riverbank. A concert showcasing wind ensemble playing at the Riverbank Theatre, Newbridge.The journey in producing a high quality performance is equally as important as the final concert. The Band seeks masterclass funding to support this endeavor.	800
Jim	O'Reilly	Naas	Established in 1985, Naas Musical Society has been a pillar in our community, creating an environment that encourages the appreciation and participation in musical theatre. Our mission is to develop the skills of our members, provide quality entertainment to the public, and contribute to the cultural richness of the area.	800
John	Geoghegan	Naas	Compilation of an anthology of poetry. Continuation of our collaboration with Craddock House Nursing Home. Promotion of The Hope Chest, a collection of short stories by one of our writers, Helen O'Leary	650
Lucy	Sheridan	Naas	This grant would provide funding for me to attend a *MASS 1-2-1 online mentoring session, facilitated by *Turps Banana Art School. *Turps Banana Art School* is a renowned institution that provides distance learning programs and mentoring sessions for artists.	250
Martina	O'Brien	Naas	To support me in the development and production of a new screen print based installation artwork form exhibition.	2000
Roseanne	Lynch	Naas	I will use this grant to spend two weeks finishing the final draft of my play, 'Waterbirth' - a strange and fantastical exploration of pregnancy and climate grief. The writing process will culminate in a reading of the play at Riverbank Arts Centre, for a small invited audience.	1200
Tara	Carroll	Naas	To develop and finalise a participatory installation artwork for an upcoming solo exhibition in Sirius Arts Centre, Cork. The larger stone elements will be created through intensive carving workshops. Embedding access into the creation of the work, I will collaboratively create a playful audio description to accompany the installation.	2000
Arts in Education
Lorraine	McGovern	Athy	The overall aim is to facilitate a project which engages the children in outdoor and class-based art activities where they can experience creativity and connectivity to their natural environment and be given the opportunity to work together, experiment, play and learn through a range of art mediums and natural materials.	2500
Tamzen	Lundy	Clane / Maynooth	A series of facilitated felt making workshops- child led- for the whole school community. Covering each of the age groups including the children of the ASD unit and SNA staff. Exploring the sensory craft of wet- felt making, for communication, well being, artistic engagement and experimentation.	2500
Donna	Scott	Naas	The Birds of Many Feathers, Can Flock Together project highlights the cultural diversity within St. Laurence's NS, incorporating the ethos of reuse, repurpose to make collagraph-printed birds on a tree, that represents the school as a safe place for children of all different cultural backgrounds to flock together.	2500
Arts, Health & Wellbeing Award
Crooked House	Theatre Company	Kildare / Newbridge	The Bingo of Life is an art project with the elderly from Newbridge Day Care Centre. It aims to signify their life stories and create connections through reminiscence theatre workshops conducted by art and health professionals. It will run from April to October, culminating in a participatory theatre performance.	4000
Lauren	Hamilton	Kildare / Newbridge	I propose to develop an existing body of work on female health, through the mediums of photography and moving-image.Staring in May, I plan to begin working collaboratively with women in Ireland experiencing conditions such as endometriosis. This work aims to elevate diverse voices and raise awareness in our community.	1500
Embrace	Music	Naas	RESONATE is a singing for wellbeing programme with a focus on encouraging participants to create connection through song and discover the joy of group singing in a relaxed environment. We propose to run four 4-week programmes across Co Kildare, culminating in a Big Sing event bringing all groups together.	4000
Artistic Entrepreneur Award
Not awarded
Culture Night Commission Award 2024
David	Walsh	Athy	Let The World Sing is an exciting  musical event involving people from up to 40 different countries  singing in their native language while accompanied by a choir of backing singers from all nations.	2600
John	MacKenna	Athy	At War With Mercy is a world premiere, based on the writings of Leonard Cohen and dealing with themes of war and mercy.Cohen and John MacKenna discussed the idea shortly before Cohen's death. Cohen urged MacKenna to use whatever you need of my work to create the production.	4000
Ken	McEvoy	Celbridge / Leixlip	Off the Record is a songwriters-in-the-round style event featuring songwriters Clara Rose, Sharon Murphy and Sive in collaboration with renowned session musicians. The event will bring together an eclectic mix of artists from different genres to perform, chat about the creative process, and share the stories that inspired their songs.	3100
Gustavo	De Morais	Clane / Maynooth	To create a brand new concert to be performed in Kildare by the Brazilian guitar duo Gustavo de Morais and Robson Rocha.To transcribe, arrange and perform music written by female composers from Brazil.The concert will also include a brief explanation of the pieces, compositions, and cultural background.	3700
Qandeel	Kafeel	Clane / Maynooth	The aim of the proposed project Truck Art in Irish Apparel is to introduce pakistani culture and traditional motifs, pattern, designes and vibrant colors into irish fashion industry.and to showcase pakistani haritage to people who have different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.	2599
Sheena	Malone	Clane / Maynooth	The Big Ukulele Bus Busk will travel across Kildare on Culture Night, stopping off to perform in several locations. The bus passengers will comprise ukulele players young and old who will be issued with the Big Ukulele Bus Busk song book in advance of the trip.	2230
Kildare town	Community garden	Kildare / Newbridge	A lively evening of music, fun, creative workshops and traditional skills all in the beautiful surrounds of Kildare Town Community Garden. Interactive workshops, live music and demonstrations from local artists including: Beeswax candle making, Botanical Printing, Furniture Making, Planting Seeds	2030
Dennis O'Driscoll Bursary Awards
John	MacKenna	Athy	I am working on a novel, Midwinter, set in Castledermot and Athy in the winters of 1963 and 2010. The novel links those two periods through an encounter between a number of characters whose lives collide temporarily, revealing events surrounding an horrific event that happened in the Summer of 1963.	2000
Colm	McDermott	Clane / Maynooth	Completing a draft of novel - Lads! Lads! Lads!	1500
Drama League of Ireland Bursary Award
Orla	Gildea	Celbridge / Leixlip	The training would enhance my skills and allow me to bring the learning back to the community groups I work with.	575
Patrick	Gorry	Clane / Maynooth	I hope to develop my skills in drama and theatre making, both for the benefit of myself and the groups I am involved with - Clane Musical & Dramatic Society, and Salmon Eile.	575
Emerging Visual Artist Award, in partnership with Riverbank Arts Centre
Fiyin	Oluokun	Kildare / Newbridge	A series of collages reflecting on the lives of the African diaspora in Ireland. How class and races affects how people move through the world;  jobs taken, places lived in (direct provision) etc. Aiming to explore identity between two worlds, finding a home in a ˜foreign' land and integration.	2500
Executive Coaching for Creative Professionals Award
Mark	Butler	Celbridge / Leixlip	I'm applying for executive coaching because I would value some assistance with professional development, strategic goal-setting, and the use of social media for promotion. A fresh perspective from experienced eyes would be of benefit, and I'd be happy to embrace accountability and feedback in order to strengthen my art practice.	600
Lauren	Hamilton	Kildare / Newbridge	This award would nurture and ground me as an artist, through setting goals to develop and maintain a successful career. Through coaching I aim to achieve awareness of my needs in both the creative and business realms, aspirations and my drive for creating work.	600
First Fortnight Award
Kasia	Eliasz	Clane / Maynooth	To create a new 40min performance called STEREO which explores the themes of identity and categorisation, with a focus on challenging stereotypes. To work with highly-skilled creative team. We will be hosting open to local community rehearsals thorough the development. To present the work in Riverbank Arts Centre.	4000
Megan	O'Neill	Naas	To continue developing a body of original, musical works that navigate the themes of mental health, grief and loss. I have already started work on this project and have released two songs dealing with these topics. This grant would allow me to finish the project with a performance in January 2025.	4000
Local Publishing Award
Greg	Hallahan	Kildare / Newbridge	Stone Mad: Journey Through Kildare's Ancient Prehistoric. Embark on a mystical exploration of Kildare's ancient landscapes with 'Stone Mad,' a captivating travel art book. Through eco-friendly illustrations, delve into the beauty and intrigue of long stones, stone circles, and ancient wells, accompanied by rich history, coordinates, and fascinating stories.	650
Platform 4 Recording Bursary Award
Conor	Matthews	Celbridge / Leixlip	I wish to record and produce a weekly podcast series featuring original poems, to be published over the course of a year.	1250
Gustavo	De Morais	Clane / Maynooth	To record 4 original compositions written for the project Healing Bridges. To distribute the music recorded to online platforms and reach new audiences in 2024. To create more opportunities for workshops and connections in County Kildare.	1250
Short Grass Bursary Award
Anna	Czarska	Clane/Maynooth	Script editing for development of screenplay for first feature film, Irish-language family film based on Irish folklore and mythology, made by Kildare-based filmmaker, produced by Kildare-based prod. company, and starring Kildare based actress.	1500
Shane	Hynan	Clane/Maynooth	We plan to make a fictional short film set in rural Kildare. It will explore place, belonging, transience, isolation and spirituality; through contemporary and historical connection with bogs. This funding will help us undertake further research to finalise script, pay for a script consultant and make a proof-of-concept trial run production.	1500
Chris	Oden	Naas	Anu, a Third Culture Kid, grapples with her identity as she grows up between cultures. A pivotal moment comes when she discovers a box of childhood mementos. These objects symbolize her past, present, and uncertain future.	1500
Research and Thinking Award
John	Conway	Celbridge / Leixlip	To research and think about strategic shifts in my practice after 10 year of prolific practice and project delivery, using a period of structured guidance and support with additional mentorship from Dr. Áine O'Brien, CounterPoint Arts.	2200
Dominic	Thorpe	Kildare / Newbridge	I will deepen my thinking and research on how merging performance art and drawing can productively address the embodied nature of trauma experiences. I will particularly focus on the complex but important area of perpetrator trauma occurring in current ongoing situations of violence, including war, gangland crime and forced migration.	2200
Tyrone Guthrie Centre Bursary Award
Geraldine	OBrien	Celbridge / Leixlip	LIVE! a dystopian play for young people. A worldwide viral attack has resulted in the young people of Celbridge escaping into woods in an attempt to survive. The themes of friendship, loss, peer pressure and survival are explored.The research is complete and I need time and space to write.	400
Peter	McCluskey	Celbridge / Leixlip	I have 50% work completed on my 5th fiction novel, tentatively titled Blood On The Tracks. It is a contemporary fiction novel set in Kildare and Krakow.I am also at a similar point in writing a collection of contemporary poetry titled The Flickering Tide. Both projects to complete by end 2024.	400
James	Smith	Kildare / Newbridge	I will develop scores for both strings and brass which will accompany already recorded music. I will utilise software and the pianos provided in the space, reacting to both the recordings captured in June 2023 and the large workspace provided.	400
Roisin	Ní Neachtain	Kildare / Newbridge	I am working towards a collection of surrounding poetry as witness, ekphrastic poetry surrounding women's mental health and disability and women's trauma through the myth of Medusa.	400
Youth Arts Award
Dave	Ryan	Athy	A weekly 2HR workshop for young people aged 14-19. They will be introduced to the techniques of collaborative theatre making and filmmaking.Workshops will explore age appropriate topics relating to wellbeing and mentalhealth. This process affords young people non-intrusive ways of reflecting on ideas, feelings and themes of their lived experiences.	2400
Wayne	Fitzgerald	Kildare / Newbridge	Georgina Kemmy will facilitate an 8-week project exploring nature as an art medium through hands-on workshops that use inspiration from our local hedgerows and trees. Workshops including: Jewellery making, Tree Pencils, Tie-dying with plants, Cyanotype Printing, Workshops will take place in various sites around Kildare including The Scout Den, Cherry Avenue, Kildoon Woods and Kildare Town Community Garden.	2500

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