The Embrace Residency Award Programme

The Embrace Residency Programme has been designed to create the following opportuities for artists with disabilities at all levels in their arts practice and to support artists who facilitate projects and teach creative workshops in the area of arts & disability.

The programme aims to achieve the following.

    • To offer participants the opportunity to engage in and enjoy inclusive, high quality, well supported residencies and projects across all art forms.
    • To offer artist’s at all levels who have a disability the opportunity to develop their arts practices and professional skills.
    • To offer professional arts facilitators whose arts practice centers on Arts and Disability the opportunity for employment and the opportunity to develop their professional skills.

Each year the Embrace programme offers a number of awards under the following  strands.

    • Artists Residencies: This award is open to organisations and artists on our Embrace Artist’s panel who wish to make a joint application to deliver high quality participatory arts projects to participants. Award amount €1,200
    • One to One Residencies: This award is open to artists who have a disability who wish to avail of in-depth one to one tutoring and whose arts practice may benefit from a tailored and focused studio support with a professional artist. Applications can be submitted by an organisation and participant with input from selected professional artist or by an independent artist. Award amount €1,200
    • Embrace Independent  Artist’s Award
    • This award is for artists who have a disability and who have an independent arts practice* ( * artists who make artwork on a regular basis and who do not engage with the arts through an organization) who wish to develop their arts practice with the support of a professional mentor. The award offers €1200 to the artist/the applicant and €300 mentor’s fee for a number of support sessions with a professional mentor. The artist may apply to develop or produce a small body of work, to undertake professional development in regards to profile building, learn about arts & business skills, learn new technical skills, undertake a short courser/series of workshops etc. The role of the mentor will be to meet with the artist for 2-3 meetings ( at the outset, mid way and at the end) to support the development of the artist’s process and practice. The applicant is invited to nominate a suitable mentor or the Arts Office can assist with sourcing a suitable mentor. Award amount €1500
    • Embrace artist facilitators may apply for several residencies with a  number of different organisations and can be awarded up to five residencies max. Awards are assessed by an independent panel made up of professional artists, curators with expertise in the field of Arts and Disability.
    • Examples of work created by Embrace participants