Dundalk's An Táin Arts Centre announces recipients of residency programme

Dundalk's An Táin Arts Centre has announced the recipients of its prestigious Creative Residency Programme for 2025. This initiative is designed to support professional local artists in developing their practice and fostering the creation of new work. Five artists from a variety of disciplines have been selected to receive studio space, a three-month living stipend, and the unique opportunity to work in an inspiring environment.

The programme is supported by The Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Louth County Council and received an overwhelming response to its open call in June, with applications reviewed through a rigorous process that included written submissions and interviews. The 2025 Creative Residency awardees are:
l Sophie Coyle, Illustrator (March – May)
l Sinéad Murphy, Filmmaker (March – May)
l Damien McKenna, Musician (March – May)
l Calvin Magee, Theatre-Maker (June – August)
l Geansaí, Singer-Songwriter (June – August)

Each artist brings a unique perspective and passion to their work. The Creative Residency Programme will allow them the time and space to deepen their craft, explore new ideas, and engage with the local artistic community.
Illustrator Sophie Coyle expressed her excitement:

"This residency means a huge amount to me. I usually work out of a small corner of our busy household, prioritising income-generating projects over personal creative pursuits. Having a dedicated space and the support of the brilliant team at An Táin Arts Centre will allow me to focus on realising one of my own creative projects.”

Filmmaker Sinéad Murphy plans to focus on screenwriting during her residency:

"This residency provides me with an invaluable opportunity to develop a new feature film script while experimenting with my writing. It’s also a chance to connect with other artists and be inspired by their experiences."

Musician Damien McKenna will work on a new piece of work that intends to play with masculinity, while drawing inspiration from Beckett and the Ulster Cycle.

“I am so very grateful and honoured to be selected for this. The support, resources and space given by An Táin Arts Centre will be of huge benefit. As an artist I am eager to continue to grow beyond my roots of song writing and this for me is an amazing opportunity. Thank you to everyone at An Táin Arts Centre.”

Theatre maker Calvin Magee, a Dundalk native, shared his thoughts:

"Growing up, An Táin was where I first fell in love with theatre. It feels special to return in this role. I’ll be exploring Augusto Boal’s methods and looking at ways to adapt his approach to a local context. I’m passionate about creating work that’s collaborative, thought-provoking, and deeply connected to the community."

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Singer-songwriter Geansaí reflected on the significance of this opportunity:

"This residency will allow me to fully dedicate myself to my craft—to wake up and think only about what and how I want to create. It’s a rare and special honour, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the team at An Táin Arts Centre and the Arts Council”.

Paul Hayes, Director of An Táin Arts Centre, remarked:

"Over the past five years, offering professional artists residencies at An Táin Arts Centre has been at the core of our mission. I am delighted to welcome these five incredible artists to our community this year. I have no doubt that the space and time we provide will be transformative for their practices, and in turn, they will enrich our local arts community.”

The An Táin Arts Centre Creative Residency Award is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Louth County Council. The Open Call usually takes place in June, but an Open Call has just been announced for their Emerging Visual Artist Residency Award which is aimed at recent visual arts graduates or artists at the beginning of their careers.

For more information on An Táin Arts Centre’s Artistic Programme or Artist Opportunities please visit www.antain.ie