Artists Exhibition Residencies 2026
Leitrim Sculpture Centre
Open Call for Applications
Leitrim Sculpture Centre in association with Leitrim County Council is offering four Exhibition Residencies to visual artists during 2026. Each residency takes place at the Sculpture Centre and includes an artist’s fee of €4,000 inclusive. The residency comes with a one-person exhibition at the end of the residency period and includes accommodation in a private studio apartment with broadband; access to all facilities at the Centre along with technical and curatorial support. The period of residency is for a max of 8 weeks. Up to 2 residencies will be provided to artists based in Leitrim. At least 2 residencies will be offered to artists from elsewhere nationally or internationally including artists from ethnic minority or migrant backgrounds.
- Application Deadline 7 September 2025
- Notification by 1 October 2025
- Residencies will take place from Feb – Nov. during 2026
Technical Development Research Residencies (TDR’s) 2026
Leitrim Sculpture Centre
Open Call for applications
Leitrim Sculpture Centre is awarding up to five Technical Development Research Residencies during 2026. These are awarded to artists wishing to explore new directions in their practice through experimental engagement with different materials, processes, and ideas using the technical facilities of the Centre. Up to 2 residencies will be provided to artists based in Leitrim. At least 3 residencies will be offered to artists based elsewhere within Ireland, including artists from ethnic minority or migrant backgrounds.
Residency Supports
The residency period is 4 weeks and includes an artist’s stipend of €2,000 inclusive. It comes with a residential studio apartment including a private and heated studio, broadband internet; general technical & safety support; basic energy and the use of technical facilities specified by the applicant. Energy for kilns, foundry or other hot processes is metered and charged. The TDR research award is offered for experimental research engagement without the pressure of having to produce an exhibition, or specific project outcome during or at the end of the research period, apart from a short report. Having said this, those artists who complete a TDR are invited back the following year for a group exhibition of work that has emerged out of the initial research stage. Artists are not obliged to participate in the group show however and may still conduct a TDR research residency without doing an exhibition the following year.
- Application Deadline 7 September 2025
- Notification by 1 October 2025
- Residencies will take place from Jan – Nov. during 2026
Professional Development Residencies for Artists hosted by the Leitrim Sculpture Centre
PDR’s provide a practical research and development residential base for artists working in all media who need time to investigate a specific idea and/or explore a technical or material process in order to advance their practice.
Artists on PDR’s typically build in technical training into their residencies availing of the Centre’s experienced technicians to do this, in & Large Fabrication; Ceramics; Woodwork; Mouldmaking; Metal Sandcasting; Metal Fabrication & Forge; Traditional Print; and Analogue Photographic Darkroom.
Previously, artists have received funding from their local County Councils or schemes such as the AC Agility or Bursary Awards, to pay for their time at LSC.
Price for artists with their own funding for a Residency Apartment with access to all technical facilities. Apartments have a double bedroom with a separate studio area, all with shared bathrooms, wifi, washing machine, sitting room and yard.
See Facility Hire rates:
https://www.leitrimsculpturece...
Prices exclude materials, energy for large equipment/ kilns etc and technical/ tutor costs. There is also an additional charge for hot processes.
For artists without funding, we offer a subsidised charge rate. Contact info@leitrimsculpturecentre.ie for information.
Residency Selection Panels
The Selection Panels for the Residency Programme comprised of Seán O’Reilly, the artistic director of Leitrim Sculpture Centre, together with members of the following:
Philip Delamere (Arts Officer, Leitrim Co.Co); Shane Finan (artist, Director, ^Caret Studios); James Kelly (artist, LSC residency artist); Catriona Leahy (Studio Member Temple Bar Gallery and Studios); Brendan Murray (Director, Glens Centre); Kierra 0’Toole,(artist, TU Sligo, Assistant Lecturer, MA Creative Practice Fine Art Doctoral Researcher); Bettina Seitz (artist, LSC workshop tutor); Dave Spence (artist, LSC studio holder).
Special thanks to all the above who gave their time to help select the artists for the Exhibition; Technical Development; Landscape Ecology and Environment and the Creative Exchange Residencies at the Leitrim Sculpture Centre during 2023.