Fingal County Council Arts Office announces the Ardgillan Castle studio award 2025-2026
Fingal County Council Arts Office, in partnership with Ardgillan Castle, is offering a funded studio space for professional artists for a one-year period starting 1st October 2025. The Studio Award includes full coverage of studio rental, utilities, and administration costs, offering artists an invaluable opportunity to develop their practice in supportive environment.
Open to professional individual artists, small collectives, or groups of artists at any stage of their career and working in any artform, applicants must have been board or currently reside in the Fingal administrative area to be eligible to apply. The studio measures 5.7m x 4.7m and is on the first floor of the castle.
Ardgillan Castle Ltd. and Fingal County Council currently support 15 studio spaces for artists and designers with a diverse range of practices. The initiative began in 2020. Ardgillan Castle opened Ardgillan Gallery in March 2023, providing a contemporary artistic space in Fingal. The gallery hosts exhibitions, artist talks, workshops and events.
Fingal County Council Arts Officer, Sarah O’Neil said on announcement of this award, ‘This continued partnership with Ardgillan Castle and Gallery aligns with our strategic goal of enabling excellence from the Fingal County Council Arts Plan 2019-2025. The dedicated studio space allows for artists to develop and produce high-quality work.’
Genevieve Howard, recipient of the Argillan castle studio award in 2024, says of her time, ‘The residency at Ardgillan Castle has been a transformative experience in the development of my work and artistic practice. The space has allowed me to engage with my process in a focused way while the beautiful surroundings of the castle have provided deep inspiration and an exciting new direction in my work. The environment here has been very supportive, being able to engage with the other artists and people who work at the castle. I have felt very inspired and encouraged during my time.’
About Genevieve Howard:
Image caption: Genevieve Howard working in her studio, Photo by James Gabriel Martin
Genevieve Howard is an Irish artist, maker and musician living and working in Fingal. She graduated with an honours degree in Metals & Jewellery from the National College of Art and Design in 2015 and with an MA in Fashion & Technology from the University of Arts Linz in Austria in 2021.
Her work explores the visualisation of sound and music in the form of wearables and sculpture. She creates her distinctive sculptural pieces through a synthesis of handcrafted techniques with the latest cutting-edge technologies. Genevieve’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally in major institutions and acquired for the collections of prominent museums worldwide, including the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne and The Dallas Museum of Art in Texas.
About Ardgillan Castle:
Ardgillan Castle, a grand country house located in Balbriggan, North County Dublin, was built in 1738 by Robert Taylor, with its west and east wings added in the late 1800s. The house, consisting of two storeys over a basement extending under the southern lawns, has been restored with the ground floor rooms and kitchens open to visitors for guided tours. The expansive 200-acre grounds also feature a rose garden, walled garden, and seasonal gardens.
Guidelines on how to apply:
Artists wishing to be considered, should apply by emailing the following information to [email protected] :
1. A detailed CV (max. two pages). PDF document only.
2. Artist Bio. Max. 300 words. PDF document only.
3. A covering letter detailing your connection to Fingal, intentions for the allocated period, a work plan, details of your materials/processes and any other requirements.
4. For visual artists, please include up to six images of your work, a content list and include the title of the artwork, medium and dimensions, if applicable. Please ensure that all files have your name in the title.
5. For writers, please attach samples of your work (no more than three samples up to a maximum of 1000 words) as a single PDF document. Please ensure that the document has your name in the title.
6. For video artists, please include a list of website addresses (e.g., YouTube or Vimeo) to access your work.
To be eligible to apply, applicant must be from, have studied or currently reside in the Fingal administrative area.
For further information please see: