University College Cork and Arts Council announce 2026 Artists in Residence
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- Brendan Canty, Aoife Ní Bhriain, Dean Browne and Alan Butler announced as recipients of 2026 Artist in Residence awards.
- The longstanding collaboration between the Arts Council and UCC celebrates diverse artistic voices and practices shaping Ireland’s creative landscape.
- This year marks the first time Digital Artists are part of the programme.
University College Cork (UCC) and the Arts Council have announced the recipients of the 2026 Artist in Residence awards across Literature, Film, Traditional Arts and Digital Arts.
Filmmaker and director Brendan Canty is announced as the Film Artist in Residence; fiddler Aoife Ní Bhriain is the Traditional Artist in Residence; poet Dean Browne is the Writer in Residence; and multi-media artist Alan Butler is the first Arts Council Digital Artist in Residence at UCC.
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. This year marks the first time Digital Artists are part of the programme.
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.
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.”
Professor Stephen Graham, Head of UCC College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, said: “Welcoming these remarkable artists to UCC in partnership with the Arts Council is a real honour. Their presence on campus will bring new creative conversations into our lecture halls, studios and research spaces, and offer our students invaluable insight into how artists create. These residencies give each artist the room to push their practice further while also opening doors for collaboration across the university and the wider community.”
“My thanks to Professor Jools Gilson whose leadership of UCC’s Artists in Residence programmes continues to champion creativity and innovative practice across all disciplines,” Professor Graham said.
The residencies give artists dedicated time and space to develop their own practice, and the opportunity to bring their work to life on campus through readings, concerts, screenings and performances. The artists will engage with students, researchers, academic staff and local audiences, opening up their creative methods through workshops and community-focused events.
The successful applicants will take up their positions in early 2026. They will join Tatiana dos Santos, theatre maker and dance artist, who is the New Irish Theatre Artist in Residence at Cork Opera House and University College Cork.