SDCC Individual Artist Bursary Award Scheme 2025 invites applications from practicing artists who wish be considered for an award of up to €5,000 to support their professional development. Artists based in South Dublin County administrative area, or operating substantially within South Dublin County, are eligible to apply.**
Registration for the Bursary information Session: Wednesday 19th March is now closed.
The maximum amount of any award is €5,000.
Guidelines
The Individual Artist Bursary Award scheme aligns with a key priority of SDCC arts development strategy: to support a vibrant and resilient arts sector. The SDCC Individual Artist Award Scheme 2025 seeks to:
• nurture and support the artist to pursue their artistic ambition at any stage of their professional development
• contribute to the growth of skilled artists living and working in the county
• retain and grow arts awareness and cultural capacity across South Dublin County.
Proposals that demonstratively contribute to an artist’s development can include, though are not limited to:
- Costs relating to the creation of a specific body of new artistic work - for exhibition, publication or presentation
- Costs relating to enhancement of skills and a knowledge base, such as: buying time for research, undertaking short-term courses in Ireland, a structured mentoring relationship, or, residencies in artist retreats in Ireland or abroad
- Costs relating to improving professional reach – such as website development, on-line supports, or documentation, networks.
South Dublin County Council encourages applications that are representative of the diversity of Irish society. Applications can be presented in written or video format. In this application form, there is an option to answer some questions either in text or by video. These questions ask for: a short summary of your proposal; a full description of the project or proposal, and how the award will impact on your development as an artist.
Assessment Criteria:
- The artistic quality and ambition of the proposal [30]
- Capacity to successfully plan and deliver the proposal (detailed budget and supporting material) [30]
- Potential impact on individual’s artistic / career development as outlined in the application [20]
- Potential for the dissemination of work to audiences. [20]
Eligibility – Who can apply?
The scheme is open to practising artists at any stage in their professional* careers, working in any medium in the following arts genres: Architecture, Circus, Dance, Film (experimental or non-narrative film making), Literature, Music, Opera, Street Arts, Theatre, Traditional arts, Visual art. Artists based in South Dublin County administrative area, or operating substantially within South Dublin County, are eligible to apply**.
• Applicants must be over 18 years of age
• You must apply online through the Submit platform.
This is a highly competitive scheme. It is expected that many more applications will be received than it is possible for South Dublin County Council to support. Incomplete proposals or late applications will not be assessed. Please ensure that all of the required supporting material is included.
Artists will not be awarded a bursary in two consecutive years.
* A professional artist can be defined as someone for whom their artform is their whole-time occupation or who holds a third level qualification in their field of practice or has been paid and advertised as a solo or leading performer/exhibitor in a state funded institution or has been published or produced by a recognised publisher or theatre/film company or venue or is recognised as a professional by his/her peers and received recognition in the form of commendations, rewards, awards, grants, appointments to panels, etc.
Supporting material to submit with your application
In order to be considered eligible for assessment for the Individual Artist Award, you must upload and submit the following supporting material online:
- A detailed up-to-date CV (max. two pages)
- Video clips or images showing samples of your recent work
- If your application is linked to a formal residency abroad you must submit a written statement from the host organisation outlining the time frame and parameters of the residency
- Where your proposal relies on the expertise of other people or organisations, you should submit brief biographies outlining their expertise, accreditation and track record.
Budget
Applicants can apply for funding of up to €5,000. You are required to provide a breakdown detailing costs, expenditures and incomes. The proposed expenditure should include an artist's fee - this is the amount you will pay yourself per day or per hour for the development of your practice or the development of your proposed artwork. SDCC Arts Office advocates for the fair and equitable remuneration of artists in line with the Arts Council’s policy on Paying the Artist. Other costs could include mentor or professional services fees, material costs, technical costs, residency costs (travel and accommodation), studio hire costs. It is important to include any in-kind support and to put a value of that (presented in both the expenditure and income side).
Ineligible. What you cannot apply for
• Education awards - including fees for undergraduate or post-graduate study
• major capital requests such as the building of studio spaces, or the purchase of equipment items such as laptop, camera, printer
• Activities that have already been completed or that will have commenced before a decision is made on your application
• Applications /activities for charity fund-raising purposes, for participation in a competition, or for primarily profit-making purposes
• Film production - the development of conventional film, including mainstream short film, animation and documentary and work for television
Queries to: oscannell@sdublincoco.ie
Deadline for queries: 1at April, 4pm
Deadline for Applications: Thursday 3rd of April 2025 at 16:00pm
Query responses will be posted below.