A Chara, Please find below information which may be of interest this week. Opportunities VISUAL ARTS RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITY – SIAMSA TíRE, TRALEE Siamsa Tíre, home to The National Folk Theatre of Ireland, is seeking proposals from visual artists to undertake a residency in its theatre building in Tralee from the 25th of June to the 16th of September 2018. As part of the residency, the selected artist will be invited to respond creatively to the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, engaging with others working in the building, particularly the members of the performing company. There will be a level of public engagement as part of the residency, the details of which will be mutually agreed with the successful candidate. This is a paid residency. The deadline for applications is Friday 18th May 2018. Full details are available on: http://www.siamsatire.com/gallery/visual-artist-residency-opportunity-at- siamsa-tire MACNAS seeks Chief Operating Officer MACNAS seeks an exceptional individual to structure and lead the company’s development and build on the unprecedented opportunities on the horizon, as well as to deliver key commitments of the company for Galway’s year as European Capital of Culture 2020. This is a full-time position based in Galway, initially on a three-year contract, with a six month probationary period. The closing date for receipt of applications for this position is 5pm Friday 18th May 2018. You should forward your CV and a one-page letter of application detailing your suitability for the role to [email protected]. For more information check out the website: http://macnas.com/2018/05/02/were-hiring-macnas- seeks-chief-operating-officer/ Writers - an opportunity to collaborate with a visual artist In collaboration with Linda Fahy and The Tudor Artisan Hub we are once again inviting a collaboration between visual artists and writers, which will form part of the Clancy Festival in Carrick over the upcoming June bank holiday weekend. Please see below for details and if you would like to be one of the 12 writers involved please email the below email address as soon as possible. (For those who have emailed already - your names are listed). For further information please email: [email protected] Website: www.margaretaobrien.com JOHN MC GAHERN AWARD As part of the Iron Mountain Literature Festival, Leitrim County Council and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre with the support of the McGahern Estate developed the John McGahern Award to encourage the development of emerging Irish writers and to pay tribute to the exceptional contribution of John McGahern to literature, and to Leitrim. John McGahern is one of Ireland’s most respected and celebrated authors. His fiction is critically acclaimed internationally, has been translated into many languages and has appeared in many anthologies. He was a member of Aosdána and won numerous awards, including the Irish- American Foundation Award, the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, and the Prix Etranger Ecureuil. He taught at universities in Ireland, England, the USA and Canada. Amongst Women, which won both the GPA and Irish Times Award, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and made into a BBC television series. The recipient of the Award receives a two-week fully resourced residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and a stipend of €1,000. Who Can Apply: This is an open call to writers of fiction resident in the Republic of Ireland. Applicants must have had their work published by a recognised publisher or have had some fiction or short stories published in a recognised journal or anthology selected by an established publisher or editor. How to Apply: Applications are accepted by email only to [email protected] and should include: A cover letter concisely outlining the project you would like to focus on during your time at Annaghmakerrig. An up to date biography. Samples of recent work - Three short samples of up to 500 words from different works. Works submitted are judged anonymously. Each piece should have two cover pages: the first listing the title of work and the author’s name, address, and contact details; and a second listing only the title of the work. The author’s name, other identifying information, and publication information must not appear after the first cover page. Note: All attachments should be in .pdf format Any relevant information on your proposed project such as written excerpts, photos, research information, etc. Application Deadline: Midnight Tuesday 31 July, 2018. No late applications will be considered. Applications will be acknowledged by email on receipt. Selection Process: Applications go before a selection committee nominated by Leitrim County Council and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. The successful applicant will be notified no later than 15 September, 2017. The recipient of the award will be publicly announced on Saturday 6th October 2018 during the Iron Mountain Literature Festival at The Dock, Carrick on Shannon. County Carlow Writer-in-Residence Programme Open Call Commencing September 2018 A new ambitious opportunity now exists for experienced Writers through a partnership initiated by Carlow County Council’s Arts Office supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and in partnership with the County Library Services and Carlow College, St Patrick’s EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST ARE SOUGHT FROM EXPERIENCED WRITERS ACROSS A RANGE OF GENRES (Fiction/Short Story, Poetry, Spoken Word, Memoir, Songwriting/Composition, Play/Script writing) Commencing September 2018 Following the success of previous Writer-in-Residence programmes in Carlow, an exciting new opportunity is being offered for experienced writers across a range of genres. This innovative venture takes the form of a series of six four-month-residencies over a two year period. It is worth noting too, that there is the possibility of joining two or more of the residencies into an eight or twelve month block, if this is the most feasible way of delivering the project, therefore there is an openness to negotiate with the writer your availability and time. The Carlow Writer-in-Residence programme is managed through the Carlow County Council Arts Office. This programme is well established, with many writers involved over the years, including Sean Hardie, Bryan Delaney and, more recently, John MacKenna. Working closely with the County Library Services each of these writers brought their own unique skills to heart of Carlow town, with its magnificent 18th century building and ample grounds, will offer successful applicants accommodation in the heart of Carlow Town, a small office facility, and access to college life in the course of term. The Writer-in-Residence will work with lecturing staff, participate in programmes, have access to facilities/spaces, and a range of skills and expertise through staff on site, primarily in the Humanities and Social Care. The Carlow County Council Arts Office wish to invite expressions of interest from experienced writers across a range of genres (Fiction/Short Story, Poetry, Spoken Word, Memoir, Songwriting/Composition, Play/Script Writing) for this programme which will be delivered in a series of stages over a two year period, commencing in September 2018. The Residency Bursary is designed with this in mind, that the Writer will have sufficient time to allow the freedom and space conducive to the pursuit of their own artistic ambitions, whilst also allocating time to enhance and develop artistic skill within the local community and the staff and student body at Carlow College, St Patrick’s. Our vision is for multiple points of access for the public to highly experienced writers in a range of artistic genres in order to acquire new skills, knowledge, and techniques. The genres contemplated include Poetry, Memoir, Spoken Word, Songwriting/Composition, Short Story/Novelist, Play/Script writing. The successful applicant will be required to deliver public readings, masterclasses/workshops, performances, and lectures as appropriate over the course of the residency. And the aim is engage with the community here in Carlow and to see participants in workshops and masterclasses produce regular written work under the guidance of the resident writer. At the same time the residency will allow for the space and time that the writer requires to develop and nurture their own creative practice. It is envisaged that the Writer-in-Residence will work across the academic calendar of Carlow College, St Patrick’s, and that each residency period will run for a college term. For example: Term 1: September 2018 - December 2018 Term 2: January 2019 – April 2019 Term 3: May 2019 – August 2019 It is worth bearing in mind that the summer programme is outside of academic timetabling, and thus this will be a quieter term in relation to the college, however there is potential to work closely with our County Library Services during this period. It is worth noting that anybody with an interest in dramatic/stage writing is encouraged to apply even if they have no previous experience! Please send in your most recent up to date CV along with your availability over the coming 2 years (September 2018 – 2020) and a brief cover letter/outline/statement of what you will bring to this residency as an experienced writer. For further information / the contact to send your CV etc to is : Sinead Dowling, Arts Office, Carlow County Council [email protected] 059 9136204, on or before Friday 29th June 2018. EVENTS Bealtaine Festival Our Bealtaine Festival is in full swing, for events happening throughout Tipperary please check out our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tipperaryartsoffice/ or website: https://www.tipperarycoco.ie/arts/bealtaine-festival-2018 Below is a taste of what is coming up: The Six Marys The Six Marys takes to the highways and byways of Tipperary as Jean Farrell takes a comical and poignant look at life, from childhood in the1950s to the present day.