Did I Ever Tell You Kildare Artist in Residence Award 2024-2025: Expression of Interest
Kildare County Council Library & Arts Service in partnership with Naas General Hospital welcome submissions for a new Artist in Residence programme, based in the hospital. Expressions of Interest are invited from professional artists and/or collectives with significant experience working in Arts and Health contexts for a 13-month part-time residency from November 2024-December 2025.
The Did I Ever Tell You Kildare Artist in Residence programme seeks to:
· Provide patients with a unique outlet for self-expression and to foster compassion in the acute hospital setting.
· Support positive mental health and improve the wellbeing of patients and staff, through creative engagement.
· Support professional artist/s to develop their practice within acute healthcare settings.
The Did I Ever Tell You Kildare Artist in Residence Award will provide an artist with:
· A bursary of €30,000, paid in instalments, to include all fees for patient contact time, prep, admin and meeting time, associated expenses, and materials.
· 13-month residency in Naas General Hospital (Nov 2024 – Dec 2025) with an average expected contact time of 8 hours per week in hospital setting over 50 weeks.
· Professional development and mentorship opportunities dependent on the needs of the selected artist(s), available up to a value of €1,500.
· Confidential counselling services to support the artist(s) through their residency (approx. 6 sessions).
· Networking opportunities with other artists engaged with the Did I Ever Tell You project in counties Offaly and Westmeath.
· Additional funding towards on-site creative engagements in communal areas (such as exhibitions, performances, etc) is available up to a value of €1,000. The proposed allocation of this additional funding can be set out at the interview stage.
The Residency will focus on bedside and person-centred engagement for patients with life-limiting conditions. This residency is for creative art practice, rather than art therapy. Through the experience and/or creation of art, patients can engage with a unique outlet for self-expression, process emotions and connect with family/staff in new ways. It is expected that the artist(s) will engage with patients directly, letting the patients’ interests inform the creative engagement.
Artists of any creative discipline are welcome to apply. The successful artist(s) will have relevant professional experience in participatory / collaborative practice as it relates to Arts and Health, and a commitment to the role of the arts in a healthcare context.
Please note the successful artist(s) will be required to undergo garda vetting, and must have their own public liability insurance policy prior to working in the hospital. An up-to-date Tax Clearance Cert will also be required.
This Artist in Residence programme is funded by Creative Ireland under the Creative Health & Wellbeing in the Community Scheme and sits within the tri-county creative health project Did I Ever Tell You, delivered in partnership between Kildare County Council, Offaly County Council and Westmeath County Council.
Did I Ever Tell You is a creative health and wellbeing project, set in six HSE healthcare settings across counties Kildare, Offaly, and Westmeath. Through this project, creative practitioners in each county will provide a bespoke programme of creative and artistic engagement over the period Sept 2024-Dec 2025, with the goal of supporting positive mental health, improving wellbeing, and promoting positive ageing through creative participation.
Selected stories, reflections, and/or creative content from each county, with a focus on older voices, will be gathered and documented via the Did I Ever Tell You book. Development of the book will be led by the Project Coordinator. Once published, the book will be shared widely across Age Friendly, Healthy Ireland and Creative Ireland networks in each county.
The Did I Ever Tell You project will be evaluated, to assess the impacts of the creative programmes on participants’ health and wellbeing.
Please Note: Each local authority is recruiting an artist(s) to deliver the Did I Ever Tell You creative programme in their county. The Artist in Residence at Naas Hospital will be responsible for the creative programme within that hospital. The Artist(s) will be expected to work with the Did I Ever Tell You Project Coordinator to identify and document materials for inclusion in the tri-county book, with a focus on older voices, participate in artist networking events, and participate in the project evaluation.
Timeline:
It is envisaged that the residency will take place over 13 months, commencing in November 2024, and will include training followed by direct engagement with hospital staff and patients. The dates will be agreed between all parties.
Key dates include:
· On-site training and induction with HSE nursing staff: Nov/Dec 2024.
· Patient engagement/bedside visits: Dec 2024-Dec 2025.
· Artist networking and project development meetings: Approx. 5 meetings between Nov 2024-June 2025.
· Participation in project evaluation (via surveys, reflective journalling, evaluation forms): Nov 2024 – Dec 2025.
· Book Launch Event: Nov/Dec 2025.
Submission Deadline:
Submissions will only be accepted via the online application form.
Expressions of Interest must be submitted before the deadline at Tuesday 22nd October 12pm (Midday)
Expressions of Interest submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
We suggest that applicants try to submit their information early in case of technical difficulties. Should they arise, please email creative@kildarecoco.ie and we will endeavour to respond as soon as possible.
It is expected that shortlisted applications will be invited for interview in early November. Applicants will be asked to present a project proposal at the interview stage.
Supporting Material:
It is advantageous to include supporting material that enhances your application. Applicants should not assume that the 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.
More information:
- The Creative Ireland Programme is an all-of government culture and wellbeing programme running until 2027. More information is available at www.creativeireland.gov.ie
- 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.
Steps to complete and submit your application form
- Read the call out
- 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
If you need help to complete and submit your application we want to hear from you. For further queries/information on the
Did I Ever Tell You Kildare Artist in Residence Award please email pbarrett
@kildarecoco.ie