178 artists have received the Next Generation Artists' Award since 2016

The once-off awards supported emerging artists to advance work and skills

Part of the Decade of Centenaries commemoration programme

Today the Arts Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media are hosting the Next Generation Artists’ Symposium. In the ninth and final year of the Next Generation Artists’ Award, the Arts Council is marking the completion of this initiative with the Next Generation Artists’ Symposium, which takes place today in Dublin Castle. A publication celebrating the achievements of this programme is due in February 2024. The purpose of both the symposium and the publication is to reflect on the role and impact of 178 artists who have received this prestigious award since its inception in 2016. 

First introduced as part of the Ireland 2016 programme to mark the centenary of Ireland's landmark year of 1916, the purpose of the Next Generation Artists’ Award was to support a group of promising artists across all disciplines at an early and pivotal stage in their career. This once-off and exceptional award was designed to support emerging artists unique development needs as they advance their work and skills.

Minister Catherine Martin TD said:

"Established in 2015, the Next Generation Artists’ Award has played a pivotal role in fostering emerging artistic talent and shaping the cultural landscape. The success of this unique award is a testament to what can be accomplished through the power of recognition, support and nurturing of the creativity and innovation of our young artists, leaving an indelible mark on the artistic landscape for years to come. Today’s symposium is an exciting and most worthwhile gathering of the artists, to network and discuss and share their experiences of the award with each other and the Arts Council, my Department and other interested parties. This dialogue will help to best inform and shape the approach to future initiatives of this nature. The Next Generation Artists’ Award, ART:2023, the symposium and publication will each contribute to the important legacy of the Creative Imagination Strand of the Decade of Centenaries Programme 2012-2023 under which the Department has partnered with the Arts Council."

Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said:

"From its inception in 2015, the Next Generation Artists’ Award has enabled support for some of the most exciting artists to emerge in that time. In honour of this pivotal award, this symposium will celebrate the extraordinary work of these artists. The legacy of the Next Generation Artists’ Award will continue to inspire future generations of artists to similar levels of excellence and ambition."

In 2023, each Next Generation Artists’ Award recipient received €25,000. The awarded artists are also invited to take part in a week-long residency programme at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig, Co. Monaghan. The categories of awardees include the following artforms: Literature; Theatre; Dance; Visual Arts; Music; Traditional Arts; Arts Participation; Film; Architecture; Circus; Opera; and Young People, Children and Education (YPCE).

The symposium is being hosted by Shaun Dunne, a Dublin-based film and theatre artist, as part of the ART:2023 partnership between the Department and the Arts Council. Shaun will be joined by an array of brilliant panelists including Marina Carr, multi-award-winning playwright; David Coonan, composer and multidisciplinary artist; Professor Sarah Glennie, Director of the National College of Art and Design; and Choy-Ping Clarke-Ng 吳彩萍, Hong Kong-Irish writer, director, performer and designer of set, costume and video; to name but a few. 

Performances on the day will include a film screening by Dean Kavanagh and Anja Mahler; a poetry reading by Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe; and a dance and music performance by Edwina Guckian. There will be a Fallow Media live podcast interview hosted by author, podcast & radio producer, Ian Maleney, and visual artist, Doireann O’Malley. All the above-mentioned artists are previous awardees of the Next Generation Artists’ Award.

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