Brendan Canty announced as University College Cork and Arts Council Film Artist in Residence 2026

9 Dec 2025

Brendan Canty announced as recipient of 2026 Film Artist in Residence Award.

The longstanding collaboration between the Arts Council and UCC celebrates diverse artistic voices and practices shaping Ireland’s creative landscape.

UCC is one of six universities to partner with the Arts Council on this flagship programme, which reflects the diversity and richness of Ireland’s creative landscape, with programmes spanning English-language and Irish-language Literature, Film, and Traditional Arts.

These awards, jointly funded by the Arts Council and UCC, provide artists with dedicated workspaces and finances to develop their work and further Ireland’s vibrant creative scene.

Brendan Canty has forged his way as one of the most exciting and prolific Irish directors. His early career enjoyed large success with his video for Hozier's 'Take Me to Church', which has since surpassed a billion views on Youtube along with two MTV VMA nominations. Since then, Brendan has gone on to direct consistently elegant and visually stunning music videos for top international artists (Dermot Kennedy, Talos) as well as commercials for brands such as Adidas, Sky Sports and Fáilte Ireland.

In 2017, Brendan directed For You (starring Barry Keoghan), which went on to win a Kinsale Shark and was nominated for an IFTA. In 2019, Brendan directed a second short film, Christy, which he has since made into his debut feature with BBC Film and Screen Ireland. The film premiered at the Berlinale 2025, where it won the Generation 14plus Grand Prix, and Best Irish Film at the Galway Film Fleadh.

His feature documentary, Gealtra, funded by TG4 and the Arts Council, premiered in 2025 and won Best Irish Feature at the Cork International Film Festival.

Maura McGrath, Chair of the Arts Council, said: “As Chair of the Arts Council, I am delighted to congratulate the new Artists in Residence across our universities. These programmes support artists to deepen their practice while bringing fresh creative energy into teaching, research and campus life. By connecting students and staff with professional artists, they spark new ideas and show how creativity can enrich every discipline. We are very grateful to our university partners for their ongoing commitment to these residencies.”

Mr John Godfrey, Head of UCC School of Film, Music and Theatre, said: “We are honoured to host this year’s Film Artist in Residence, Brendan Canty. His portfolio embraces an exciting mixture of feature films, music videos, shorts, advertisements and more - a cornucopia of award-winning work. Artistic creativity is at the core of the School’s outlook and activity, and we are especially dedicated to the possibilities inherent in multidisciplinary arts. Brendan will bring a fresh outlook that will inspire us all, and we look forward to what will undoubtedly be a fruitful and beneficial relationship. On behalf of all of us in the School, I wish Brendan a warm welcome!”

Brendan Canty joins Aoife Ní Bhriain, Arts Council – UCC Traditional Artist in Residence; poet Dean Brown, Arts Council – UCC Writer in Residence, and multi-media artist Alan Buter, Arts Council - UCC Digital Artist in Residence.

Performing Arts at UCC

University College Cork (UCC) is ranked in the top 100 universities worldwide for Performing Arts in the QS World University Rankings, recognising its international reputation for study and research in the Performing Arts including music and sonic art, theatre and interdisciplinary practices.

Discover study and research opportunities at UCC's School of Film, Music and Theatre here.