Opportunity
Waterford Healing Arts Trust (WHAT) has issued an open call to artists of all arts disciplines to apply to be Artist in Residence at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) in 2021. The deadline for submission of applications is 11 February 2021.
The WHAT Artist in Residence scheme is funded by the Arts Council. The residency is a means of engaging the hospital community in contemporary arts practice and an opportunity for artists to develop their professional practice within an acute hospital context. While the residency programme usually sees the successful artist collaborating with patients, the focus of the 2021 residency will be engaging healthcare staff in collaborative/participatory arts experiences, with a view to creating new work.
The successful artist will be paid a fee and, subject to public health guidelines, be provided with a studio space at the WHAT Centre for Arts and Health at UHW and support from WHAT staff.
Recent Artists in Residence at WHAT/UHW include musician Catherine Sweeney Browne, the late Eric Sweeney (composer), poet Edward Denniston, and visual artists Ciara Harrison and Caroline Schofield, all of whom have written up their experiences which you can read on the WHAT website here.
‘Artists working in health settings have experienced particular challenges since the onset of COVID-19. With our 2021 Artist in Residence programme, we are now particularly interested in applications which propose to creatively explore and reflect on the experience of healthcare staff in relation to the pandemic, either a broad spectrum of staff, or a particular cohort, for example nursing staff or radiographers. We have very creative staff at UHW, so we’re looking forward to seeing how the 2021 Artist in Residence programme develops.’ – Claire Meaney, Director of Waterford Healing Arts Trust
How to apply
For information on how to apply download the Artist Brief HERE.
For queries, contact Claire Meaney / Maeve Butler at Waterford Healing Arts Trust what@hse.ie
Timeline
The deadline for submission of applications is Thursday, 11 February 2021.
A briefing session for interested artists will take place online on Tuesday 2 February at 2pm. Admission is free, but attendees must register by Thursday 28 January by emailing what@hse.ie
About Waterford Healing Arts Trust
Waterford Healing Arts Trust (WHAT) is Ireland’s leading arts and health organisation. Established in 1993, WHAT brings arts experiences to the bedsides of patients at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) and other healthcare settings. WHAT believes that the arts contribute to the wellbeing and vitality of society and that engaging with the arts stimulates the participant’s sense of identity and creativity. WHAT also supports the development of arts and health in Ireland and manages the national website artsandhealth.ie.