The Arts Council has announced the recipients of the 2018 Next Generation bursaries.

A total of €360,000 was awarded to 18 promising early-career artists from all disciplines – literature, visual arts, theatre, music, film and dance – selected from a total of 133 applicants. Each will receive €20,000 to ‘buy time’ to develop their practice, and will take part in a week-long residential programme. 

Speaking of the award, Arts Council Director Orlaith McBride said: 

What makes the Next Generation award special is that it identifies an artist at an early but pivotal moment in his or her career. Our investment buys them time, and the opportunity to engage with mentors or other supports that we hope will have a transformative impact on their work in future years

Two of the 18 selected artists work in the field of music: Peter Fahey, a composer from Tipperary who studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and Cornell University, and who was recently announced as a participant of Composer Lab 2019; and Patrick Rafter, a violinist currently studying under Maxim Vengerov at the International Menuhin Music Academy Switzerland.

For a full list of the Next Generation 2018 Artists, see below. For further information, visit www.artscouncil.ie.

Next Generation 2018 Award Recipients

Kevin Breahnach – Literature (English language)
Mairead Carten – Visual Arts 
Karen Cogen – Theatre
Peter Fahey – Music
Lauren Foley – Literature (English language) 
Kerry Guinan – Visual Arts 
Dean Kavanagh – Film
Eleanor McCaughey – Visual Arts
Jonah McGreevy – Circus
Julie Morrissy – Literature (English language)
Eimear Murphy – Visual Arts
Siobhán Ní Dhuinnín – Dance
Seoidín O’Sullivan – Arts Participation
Atoosa Pour Hosseini – Film
Patrick Rafter – Music
Sven Sandberg – Visual Arts
Liam Scanlon – Traditional Arts
Shane Ward – Theatre