AIC Scheme Bursary Award 2021 Recipient (Collaborative Arts and Community Development): Kate O’Shea

Create and the Irish Local Development Network are delighted to announce Kate O’Shea as the recipient of the Artist in the Community Scheme Bursary Award 2021: Collaborative Arts and Community Development

Kate is a multi-disciplinary social practice artist working across printmaking, large-scale installation, performance and publishing. Her collaborative practice builds spaces of solidarity to explore alternative modes of community and dialogue. Her work has been recognised nationally and internationally, including through the award of The Just City Residency at Common Ground (2020) for HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? which involves collaborating with six community development projects across Dublin 8. Kate is co-founder with Victoria Brunetta of Durty Books, an independent publishing house which provides a critical space for voices across art, design, academia and activism.

Kate intends to use the time afforded by the bursary award for self-reflection and evaluation focusing on her 12 years’ experience of socially engaged practice.

Over 12 months she will reflect and evaluate her collaborative methodologies and investigate the interconnections of 5 key thematics:

1. Building a Culture of Care
2. Space for Conflict
3. Alternative Platforms of Communication
4. Local/International Networks of Solidarity
5. Building relationships through building Social Spaces.

This will involve writing and audio, as well as critical conversations with collaborators in the field of community development.

The purpose of the AIC Scheme Bursary award is to support and nurture professional arts practice; it is specifically aimed at an artist with a track record of working collaboratively with communities of place or interest in the context of human rights. The bursary of €10,000 provides the selected artist with time and resources to carry out research and to reflect and engage with and reflect on their practice. More particularly, it allows the artist to consider key questions associated with human rights using collaborative methodologies.

The panel which awarded this bursary was chaired by Áine Crowley, Programme Manager Arts and Engagement, and consisted of Ann O Connor, Head of Arts Participation, Arts Council; Marielle MacLeman, Artist, previous Bursary recipient, and Siobhan Power – Irish Local Development Network. Create staff member Jane O’Rourke observed and took minutes.