Branar Meitheal International Residencies

Project Name

Branar Meitheal International Residencies

Project Partners

Branar

Role of Galway Culture Company

Partner and Funder

Strategic Aim

This project falls under our first strategic aim;

Facilitate EU and International Relationships and Funding

Project Description

Meitheal is a dynamic support initiative for artists and producers creating work for young audiences across the performing arts disciplines. 

Through bespoke individual supports and carefully curated collective development opportunities, Meitheal builds a community of artists and producers with the knowledge, skills, experience and connections that enable them to sustain a career developing and presenting high-quality work for children and young people in venues and settings across Ireland and internationally. 

Meitheal facilitates artists and producers presenting work for young audiences to sustain, explore and expand their practice; rigorously interrogate their own work in a supportive environment; broker and forge relationships with presenters and potential co-producers; develop through peer support by means of national and international exchange and mentorship; and cultivate opportunities for presentation and touring, locally, nationally and international.

Project Outcomes – what we expect from this project

Branar Meitheal in partnership with Galway Culture Company are supporting two international residencies in 2025. 

These residencies are designed to offer artists and producers the opportunity to expand their practice in an international context, make connections and arrange exchange opportunities with other artists and organisations making work for young audiences in France and New York. 

Partners in the residency include Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris and the Irish Arts Centre in New York. 

In 2024, there was a limited call to 16 artists and producers who have previously participated in the Branar Meitheal Creative Production Supports Pilot in 2021 – 2023. The target group of practitioners included a range of artists and producers based across Ireland, creating performing arts for children and young people. 

The two artists selected to take part in the the International Residencies in 2025 are Liam McCarthy, who will travel to Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, and Neasa Ní Chuanaigh, who will travel to the Irish Arts Center, New York.

These residencies offer the selected Meitheal alumni the opportunity to take time to explore and develop their practice, see and experience new work specifically created for young audiences in either Paris or New York, make connections and/or work with artists and practitioners local to both centres.

Read more about the selected artists here. 

How this project is funded

This project is funded by Galway Culture Company, which is supported by the Government of Ireland under the National Development Plan through the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Duration

Ongoing