Kildare County Council Arts Service, in partnership with The ACRE Project, supports an Artist in Residence programme based at The ACRE Project in Celbridge, County Kildare. Now in its fourth cycle, the residency supports professional artists to develop their practice while engaging meaningfully with local communities through a programme of public‑facing creative activity.
The residency offers a 30‑week placement (one day per week) and is open to professional artists, collectives or companies working in any art form. It provides time, space and financial support for artistic development alongside opportunities for community engagement, recognising the reciprocal relationship between professional practice and participatory work.
The current Artist in Residence is Martina McDonald. Previous recipients of the award include Ailish Claffey, Embrace Music (Sadhbh O’Sullivan and Sharon Murphy) and Krystal Sweedman, reflecting the programme’s openness to diverse practices, disciplines and approaches.
Artists in residence are based at The ACRE Project, a community‑focused site on the Maynooth Road in Celbridge. The ACRE Project offers indoor and outdoor creative spaces, including sensory gardens, and provides a welcoming environment for learning, reflection and community connection. The residency encourages artists to respond to this unique context, engaging with themes of environment, wellbeing, creativity and community.
The programme includes a bursary award of €15,000 (inclusive of expenses), access to office and workshop facilities, and support to develop and deliver a programme of workshops with identified local communities. Artists are supported by both The ACRE Project and Kildare County Council Arts Service to access communities and realise meaningful engagement.
The ACRE Artist in Residence programme forms part of Kildare County Council Arts Service’s Arts, Health and Wellbeing programme and is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.