Kildare County Council Arts Office welcomes applications from professional artists across all artforms at any stage of their career, for a new EDI Artist Practice Bursary (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) supported by The Arts Council. This award (€5,000) is available to artists specifically from under-represented backgrounds and communities, including those based on gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, membership of the Traveller Community and socio-economic status.
The bursary aligns with Kildare County Council’s
Integration Strategy 2020 – 2026 and the Arts Council’s
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy towards ensuring that everyone who lives in Ireland has the opportunity to engage with, and participate in the arts. This Artist Practice Bursary Award will provide the opportunity for the successful applicant to focus on the development of their professional practice, or develop a specific artistic project, or both.
This award emphasises the value and benefit to an artist’s development of an extended process of engagement with their practice and seeks to provide an artist from an underrepresented background with the resources to do this. In addition to the bursary award, Kildare Arts Service will work with the artist via a series of 3 meetings to identify opportunities for networking and professional development.
More information:
Kildare County Council is committed to fair pay and a policy to Pay the Artist. Please refer to the Arts Council's policy on
Paying the Artist when valuing your time as an artist and those collaborating with you.
Your attention is also drawn to
safetocreate.ie, where you will find more information about the Safe to Create Dignity at Work programme which aims to impact change on the culture and practices of the arts sector in Ireland to provide safer working conditions for artists and arts workers.
Application deadline
Applications will only be accepted via the online application form.
Applications must be submitted before the deadline at 12pm (midday), Wednesday 12th June 2024.
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
We suggest that applicants try to submit their application form early in case of technical difficulties. Should they arise, please email arts@kildarecoco.ie and we will endeavour to respond as soon as possible.
Supporting Material
It is advantageous to include supporting material that enhances your application. Applicants should not assume that the independent assessment panel are familiar with your work or your previous funding history. The panel will use the supporting material to get a better understanding of both your track record and that of your creative collaborators, and the feasibility of your proposal.
If you need help to complete and submit your application we want to hear from you. Please email or call the Arts Service team at least three weeks before the award deadline, or as early as possible, to give us time to assist you. Email: arts@kildarecoco.ie / Tel: 045 980872.
Eligible artists must be:
- a professional artist, as demonstrated in their CV
- an artist living in and/or from county Kildare
- from an underrepresented background, including those based on gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, membership of the Traveller Community and socio-economic status
- over 18 years of age
Applications will not be accepted from:
- applicants in full time education
- proposals for capital costs or retrospective costs
Steps to complete and submit your application form
Here we have outlined the steps you will take to complete and submit your application for funding for Arts Grants, and what happens next.
- Read the call out and eligibility notes
- Click Apply and Register
- Create a new Profile or review your existing details. Please include a valid email address with your application – this will be used for all future correspondence relating to your application.
- Check your email to confirm your registration
- Complete the online application form. This form can be saved in draft for you to review and edit at a later time.
- Upload Supporting Material
- Send application form
- Verify email address (check your email for a copy)
- Submit application
Assessment and Decision
- Applications will be assessed by an independent assessment panel.
- Applications are assessed in a competitive context and with consideration of the application form and the supporting materials submitted. Applications are assessed taking the published assessment criteria into consideration. Consideration is also given to the artform(s) supported and the Arts Service’s remit to support the arts countywide. Assessment Criteria: Relevant professional experience as presented on CV, and quality of supporting material; How the proposal meets the objective of the award; Feasibility of the proposal, including timeline and allocation of the budget.
- All applicants will be advised of panel's decision by email.
- The Arts Service is not in a position to provide feedback on individual applications.
- Grant aid provided by Kildare County Council must be acknowledged in all publicity material associated with the project. Kildare County Council reserves the right to publicise the awarding of the Arts Grants. Failure to acknowledge Kildare County Council appropriately may deem the grant invalid and grant aid received may need to be refunded to Kildare County Council.
- All successful applications will receive a copy of Kildare County Council logos, along with the document ‘Requirements for acknowledging Kildare County Council funding’ via email.
- If your application is successful, you will be required to submit a short report/update. An invitation to submit a report will be communicated to grant recipients in early autumn 2024. Failure to submit a report may deem the grant invalid and grant aid received may need to be refunded to Kildare County Council.
- The payment of a grant is not taken as an indication that the equivalent of any grant will be made to the organiser on another occasion.
Kildare County Council Arts Service reserves the right not to award bursaries at its discretion.
Image: ‘Flight of Doves’ - John Behan RHA. Bronze on a polished marble base.
From the Kildare Municipal Art Collection.
Image credit: Brian Cregan