FSAS/ ADI Studio Visit Programme

Arts & Disability Ireland and Fire Station Artists’ Studios celebrate over 10 years supporting visual artists with disabilities together. The partnership has included an exhibition and seminar called ‘A Different Republic’ at The LAB Gallery, 4 Studio Awards, 2 Digital Media Awards, 4 publications, 7 artists and 7 mentors participated in our Mentoring Programme, and a seminar called ‘Pathways to Practice’ at the Glucksman Gallery.

The Studio Visit programme brings curators and artists together to look at the development of work and its parameters. Curators and artists of national significance have participated in this programme in 2019 and 2020.

Arts & Disability Ireland and Fire Station Artists’ Studios have gathered a panel of nationally recognised curators to participate in studio visits with up to 8 visual artists with disabilities in 2022. Each curator will participate in up to two studio visits each.

The 2022 Studio Visit programme curators are:

Miguel Amado – Director, Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh
Sara Greavu – Curator, Project Arts Centre, Dublin
Sheena Barrett – Curator, The Lab Gallery, Dublin
Belinda Quirke – Director, Solstice Arts Centre, Navan

What is a studio visit?
The purpose of the studio visit is for artists and curators to have a conversation about the artist’s work and troubleshoot areas of the artist’s practice. This first conversation could lead to building a relationship over time.

Studio visits are meetings between artists and curators that are focused on the artist’s practice, their work and interests. Artists invite curators, programmers or arts managers for a studio visit to discuss their practice.

This can happen at the artist’s studio, in a café, meeting space or sometimes online. In advance the curator will research the artist and the artist will choose what artworks they’d like to show the curator and be prepared to discuss their work. All of this preparation is a starting point for a conversation.

In a studio visit the conversation may address themes of the artist’s work, works in progress, ideas around potential exhibition opportunities, audiences for future work, introducing references by other artists, professional development opportunities and critical responses.

What to expect from the Studio Visit programme?
Each of the successful artists with disabilities will participate in a studio visit with one of the curators on our panel between January and March 2022. Successful artists will receive a fee of €100. Curators will also receive a fee. After the studio visit each artist and curator will submit a one page report on their studio visit experience.

Who is eligible to apply?
Visual artists at all stages of their careers are welcome to apply.
To be eligible you must be:

• a visual artist with a disability
• able to demonstrate your professional practice
• living in the Republic of Ireland
• over 18 years of age

Application Process

Artists are asked to submit an application email with the following information:

• A one page letter of interest explaining why you would benefit from the Studio Visit programme: max 500 words (.doc or .pdf)
• CV: max 2 pages (.doc or .pdf)
• Examples of previous work: max 10 images/works (.jpg, .wav, .mp3, .mp4, .pdf, .doc)
• If you have any access requirements to participate in the Studio Visit please outline these in your email.

Applications are now closed.