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Applications are currently being accepted for The Artist and Youth Work Residency Grant Scheme 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
The Artist and Youth Work Residency Grant Scheme is designed to promote innovative partnerships between youth work groups, artists and (where relevant) arts organisations, and support young people’s access to quality youth arts experiences in youth work settings. A residency may take the form of an artist in residence in a youth work setting and/or a youth group in residence in an arts setting.The scheme is managed by the National Youth Council of Ireland on behalf of the Arts Council and the Department of Education and Youth.There are two strands to the artist and youth work residency scheme: the Youth Arts Explorer Grant and the Artist and Youth Work Full Residency Grant.
This grant is for projects, services and organisations that are exploring the introduction of youth arts experiences to their youth work setting but are not yet sufficiently experienced/confident to develop or manage a larger scale residency project. The aim of the grant is to support an organisation to explore the introduction of arts practice to the youth service.
Potential activities could include: testing an idea or concept, hosting introductory sessions, facilitating exploratory meetings between artist, young people and the youth service; or connecting the group to a local arts centre, cultural venue, etc. for a performance, workshop, or exhibition (with a view to facilitating further partnership).
The Artist and Youth Work Full Residency Grant aims to promote innovative partnerships between youth work groups, artists and (where relevant) arts organisations; to support the development of youth arts practice in youth work and support young people’s access to quality youth arts experiences. A residency may take the form of an artist in residence in a youth work setting and/or a youth group in residence in an arts setting.
This grant is intended to support residency programmes that have been jointly developed by the partners involved (i.e., the artist, youth work group and any other key partner organisation), that offer meaningful creative experiences where young people are at the heart of decision-making and that fully meet the criteria for the award.
Eligible applicants include:
Youth work organisations collaborating with artists
Youth work organisations partnering with arts organisations
Consortia of youth work organisations and artists
Arts organisations partnering with youth work organisations to deliver youth-focused artistic experiences
Projects must demonstrate:
Active participation and leadership of young people
Innovative approaches to youth arts engagement
Inclusivity and widening access for underrepresented young people
