Fingal County Council Arts Office, in partnership with Music Network, is delighted to announce the launch of its newly established Musician-in-Residence Award at Carnegie Library, Swords. This exciting initiative offers musicians the opportunity to develop their artistic practice, create new work and engage with local audiences.
The residency will provide the selected musician with dedicated time and space to develop and showcase new work and/or foster artistic collaborations. The recipient will receive an award of €6,000, space to work, as well as mentoring and career development support. The residency will culminate in a public concert, allowing audiences to experience the musician's work firsthand.
The residency is open to individual musicians and groups from all genres with a minimum of two years of professional performance experience. To be eligible, applicants must either live, work, be originally from, or have studied a relevant discipline in Fingal County. All applicants must be aged 18 or over.
Commenting on the announcement Sarah O'Neill, County Arts Officer for Fingal County Council said: “Fingal Arts Office are delighted to partner with Music Network for the inaugural Musician-in-Residence Award at The Carnegie Library, Swords. A residency at The Carnegie Library will provide an environment that supports artistic innovation. The award will offer professional Fingal musicians an opportunity to develop, create and showcase new work as we build towards the development of the Swords Cultural Quarter. Through this award the recipient will be supported to build on their creative excellence while fostering professional growth.”
CEO of Music Network Sharon Rollston added: “We are excited to embark on this new partnership with Fingal Arts Office which will provide valuable time and resources for musicians in Fingal to develop their artistic practice, advance their careers and produce ambitious new work which we look forward to sharing with the residents of Fingal later this year.” An online information session for applicants will also take place on Tuesday 29 April at 11am. Registration for this event is available via MusicNetwork.ie.
Interested musicians can book a site visit to Carnegie Library on Wednesday 30 April at 2pm by emailing linda@lindashevlin.com. Members of the Fingal Arts Office and Music Network will be available on the day to answer questions.
Residency activities will take place part-time over a four-month period from July to October 2025. The application deadline is Thursday 15 May at 2pm. Further details about the award and the application process can be found on Music Network’s website.
The Carnegie Musician-in-Residence Award 2025 is funded by Fingal County Council Arts Office and managed by Music Network.
