The Arts Council is delighted to announce the recipients of its 2026 Artist in Residence awards. These awards, which are jointly funded by the Arts Council and partner universities, provide artists with dedicated workspaces and vital finances to develop their work, acquire resources and further Ireland’s vibrant creative scene.
This year, 12 artists across seven universities will benefit from this flagship programme. Their upcoming work will reflect the diversity and richness of Ireland’s creative landscape, with programmes spanning English and Irish-language Literature, Film, Digital Arts and Traditional Arts.
This year marks a particularly exciting opportunity for Digital Artists, who have, for the first time, been included in the programme through three pilot residencies across University College Cork, the University of Galway and the University of Limerick.
The Artists in Residencies programme is a cornerstone of the Arts Council’s commitment to fostering artistic excellence and enriching educational environments.
The successful applicants will take up their positions in early 2026.
Maura Mc Grath, Chair of the Arts Council, congratulated the successful applicants:
“As Chair of the Arts Council, I am delighted to congratulate the new Artists in Residence across our universities. These programmes support artists to deepen their practice while bringing fresh creative energy into teaching, research and campus life. By connecting students and staff with professional artists, they spark new ideas and show how creativity can enrich every discipline. We are very grateful to our university partners for their ongoing commitment to these residencies.”
These 12 new artists join an additional 10 awardees who took up residencies in Children and Young People’s Arts across seven Higher Education Institutions at the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.
Altogether, the total investment from the Arts Council for all residency programmes at third level institutions in 2026 is €417,000. Partner universities have together contributed €105,000, bringing the combined investment to €522,000 – over half a million euros.
The 2026 Arts Council Writer Fellow at Trinity is Sarah Maria Griffin.
Eoin McNamee, Director of the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre, says:
"The School of English and the Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre are delighted to welcome Sarah Maria Griffin as our new Writer Fellow. We're really looking forward both to working with her and to giving her time and space to work on her writing."
For more, see here.