UCC celebrates Zero Project Award for UCC PhD student Eoin Nash and Suisha Inclusive Arts

3 Dec 2025

• UCC PhD student Eoin Nash and Suisha Inclusive Arts have received a Zero Project Award, recognising their contribution to advancing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Eoin’s doctoral research, based in UCC’s School of Film, Music and Theatre and School of Applied Social Studies, explores how art, disability, practice and rights intersect.
• Major award announced on International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

UCC PhD student Eoin Nash and Suisha Inclusive Arts/Horizons (previously Cope Foundation) have been awarded a Global Zero Project Inclusive Arts Award for 2026, an international honour that recognises initiatives advancing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The award recognises work that demonstrates originality, impact and the capacity to scale across different contexts, improving the daily lives and legal rights of persons with disabilities.

Eoin is currently pursuing his PhD with UCC School of Film, Music and Theatre with transdisciplinary input from UCC School of Applied Social Studies in UCC College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences. His PhD focuses on the relationship between art, disability, practice and rights and it is funded by Research Ireland.

At the centre of the Zero Project award is ‘Protest Song’, a creative work grounded in disability rights and shaped by the UN CRPD and the EU’s Union of Equality framework. Eoin co-created the piece with a group of artists he works with regularly at Suisha/Horizons.  ‘Protest Song’ was first performed in Suisha’s 2024 theatre production Home Sweet Home as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival at UCC’s Granary Theatre.

The Zero Project highlights solutions that strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities around the world. This nomination stood out for its innovative approach and its strong record of collaboration between disabled and non-disabled artists. It progressed through a rigorous, multi-stage review that included expert peer evaluation from inclusive arts specialists globally, followed by assessment from an International Arts Experts Panel.

Reflecting on the award, Eoin Nash said: “We’re honoured to see our work recognised among global initiatives that make a meaningful difference. As part of this award, we will present Protest Song at the Zero Project Conference 2026 at the United Nations Office in Vienna. It’s a remarkable opportunity to share the work with more than a thousand participants from around a hundred countries.”

This year’s Zero Project evaluation drew on more than 300 hours of review and the expertise of over 350 members of its global network. (note: cross check with final release)

Receiving a Zero Project Award brings significant international visibility, along with access to new partnerships and a network of more than 10,000 experts dedicated to advancing disability inclusion.

Eoin’s PhD supervisors Professor Yvon Bonenfant, UCC School of Film, Music and Theatre, and Professor Máire Leane, UCC School of Applied Social Studies said: “This award is a powerful endorsement of Eoin’s commitment to fully inclusive arts practice and the collaborative ethos at the heart of Suisha Inclusive Arts. Seeing this work recognised on a global stage affirms its importance and its potential to influence how the arts can support the rights of persons with disabilities. We’re immensely proud of this achievement and look forward to the impact it will continue to have.”

Read more on the Zero Project website.