The Abbey Theatre and Clifden Arts Festival announce a new residency

The Abbey Theatre and Clifden Arts Festival are committed to providing opportunities for artists to develop their craft and to expand their knowledge and practice.

Chun an leathanach seo a léamh i nGaeilge, cliceáil anseo.

Theatre Residency Opportunity 

The landscape and people of Connemara have long inspired many artists on who we were and who we might be – a sentiment that forms a core part of the thinking and programming of the Abbey Theatre’s Artistic Director. At a time when we are looking to our landscapes and to our land, the Abbey Theatre and Clifden Arts Festival have come together to provide an artist a residency opportunity to explore a landscape that has long inspired plays, poems, paintings and films. Yeats said in his Collected Works in Verse and Prose ‘but presently I convinced myself … that I should never go for the scenery of a poem to any country but my own, and I think that I shall hold to that conviction to the end.’

The residency will offer an artist an opportunity to work on their own practice alongside a tailored programme of visits to places of significance in Connemara and a series of meetings with arts practitioners based in Connemara. The programme will be tailored with the chosen artist, taking into consideration their own practice and needs. The Abbey Theatre and Clifden Arts Festival will also provide the following:

  • A two week residency in Connemara.
  • Travel costs.
  • Accommodation in Clifden town centre.
  • A weekly stipend of €700.
  • Per diem of €33.

Who can apply:

  • The residency is open to professional theatre artists (playwrights/makers) who are based in Ireland.
  • Applications are accepted from individual artists only. We cannot accept applications from collectives or groups at this time.
  • Artists applying should be available to take up the residency in March 2023, over two consecutive weeks.
  • The nominated weeks for the residency are March 10th – March 24th 2023

The closing date for applications is 12pm, Tuesday 7 February 2023. Please apply here.

All applications will be considered as part of the initial assessment process based on the selection criteria below. A shortlisting and interview process may be undertaken.

All applicants need to complete the application in full.

The Abbey Theatre will accept video or audio applications in .MP4 format. Applications made by video or audio recording should answer where possible the questions outlined in the application form and should be no longer than 5 minutes in length. Video and audio applications should be sent to clara.purcell@abbeytheatre.ie and should include email and phone contact details for the applicant.

Selection Criteria:

  • Proven artistic merit, as seen through work samples and artist CV.
  • Suitability of the artist and their practice for the objectives of the residency.
  • Equal Opportunities across Ireland.
  • Commitment to Gender Equality and Diversity.