Bursary & Post Graduate Programme
Bursary Awards 2025
Ciarán Langford Memorial Bursary
Billie Adele O’Regan
Artist Bio
Moving Image Bursary
Danny Foley
Artist Bio
The Backwater Artists Ciarán Langford Memorial Bursary Award and the Moving Image Bursary Award provide graduates with full use of a studio for 6 months (Dates TBC), mentorship from a relevant arts professional, a solo exhibition opportunity in the Studio 12 exhibition/project space. This element will include technical support, artists fee and PR support. Please note: new work must be produced for this element.
Graduate Residency Awards 2025
Graduate Residency Award
Caoimhe Fitzpatrick
Artist Bio
Graduate Residency Award
Robert Lawton
Artist Bio
This Graduate Residency Award Scheme provides an opportunity for graduating students to continue and advance their practice, educational opportunities and/or career options. This residency, awarded by the MTU Crawford College of Art & Design (CCAD), provides the successful applicant with studio space in Backwater Artists Group Studios for 9 months and access to MTU CCAD library in return for assistance in MTU CCAD Materials Shop (5 hours per week).
How to apply: Please contact MTU CCAD admin office by email for the application form and further details.
Backwater Artists Network Awards 2025
We award one year membership of our Backwater Artists Network to six graduates of MTU Crawford College of Art & Design. Graduates have full access to all our network supports including access to curators, professional development, exhibition opportunities and promotional support.
Please visit the Backwater Artists Network page for more information on what’s available.
Bursary Testimonials
I was honoured to have been awarded the Moving Image Bursary from Backwater Studios. This included use of a studio space as well as my own solo exhibition. The opportunity has helped me grow as an artist and has given me the inspiration and confidence to continue to work hard on my art process.
The Ciaran Langford Memorial Bursary graduate award has been a fantastic opportunity for me as a recent graduate. It has enabled me to get on my feet as an artist by giving me a studio space and a vibrant artistic community within which to develop my practice.
Deirdre Frost, Ciarán Langford Memorial Bursary Recipient 2020-2021
List of previous/current CLM Bursary recipients:
2025: Billie Adele O’Regan
2024: Murrough O’Donovan
2023: Andrea Newman Photography/Mixed Media, Oct’23 – March’24
2022: Helen Cantwell Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’22 – March’23
2021: Bríanna Ní Léannacháin, Sculpture/Mixed Media, Jan’22 – Jun’22
2020: Deirdre Frost, Painting/Mixed Media, May’21 – Nov ’21
2019: Padraic Barrett, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’19 – Jun’20
2018: Sarah Long, Painting, Oct’18 – Mar’19
2017: Klaudia Olszynska, Sculpture, Sept’17 – Feb’18
2016: Linda Young, Painted/Mixed Media, Sept ’16 – Feb’17, Rachel Mankze, Sculpture, Sept ’16 – Feb’17, Lean Corbett, Sculpture, Sept ’16 – Feb’17
2015: Cillian Moynihan, Painting, Sept’15 – Feb’16, Lynn Marie Dennehy, Sculpture, Sept’15 – Mar’16
2014: Roisin Foley, Sculpture, Sept’14 – Feb’15, Deirdre Hurley, Painting, Sept’14 – Feb’15
2013: Susan O’Leary, Painting, Nov’13 – Feb’14, Cliodhna O’Riordan, Sculpture, Sept’13 – Feb’14, KateŘina HlavÁČovÁ, Painting, Sept’13 – Oct’13
2012: Cassandra Eustace, Painting, Sept’12 – Feb’13, Sophie Behal, Sculpture, Sept’12 – Feb’13
2011: Richard Forrest, Sculpture, Sept’11 – Jan’12, Helen Lynch, Painting, Sept’11 – Jan’12
2010: Feargal Cunningham, Sculpture, Sept’10 – Feb’11, Molly Anna King, Painting, Dec’10 – May’11
2009: William Lawlor, Sculpture, Sept’09 – Feb’10, Alannah Byrne, Painting, Sept’09 – Feb’10
2008: Tanya O’Keeffe, Sculpture, Sept’08 – Feb’09, Eveleen Murphy, Painting, Sept’08 – Feb’09
2007: Brían Crotty, Sculpture, Sept’07 – Feb’08, Niamh Davis, Painting, Sept’07 – Feb’08
2006: Aisling Smyth, Sculpture, Sept’06 – Feb’07, Tessa Power, Painting, Oct’06 – Mar’07
2005: Stephanie Hough, Sculpture, Sept’05 – Feb’06, Wendie Young, Painting, Sept’05 – Feb’06
2004: Vivienne Griffin, Sculpture, Sept’04 – Feb’05, Aidan Crotty, Painting, Sept’04 – Feb’05
2003: Síle O’Brien, Painting, Sept’03 – Feb’04
2002: Phillipa Kennedy, Painting, Sept’02 – Feb’03, Lorraine Neeson, Sculpture, Sept ’02 – Feb’03
2001: Brendan Butler, Painting, Sept ’01 – Feb’02, Niamh Hurley, Sculpture, Sept ’01 – Feb’02
2000: Tamzyn De Rohan-Truba, Sculpture, Aug’01, Cliff Dolliver, Painting, Mar’01 – Aug’01, Hazel Forrester, Sculpture, Mar’01 – July’01
1999: Rosemary Guiney, Painting, Sept ’99 – Feb’00: Sarah Kelleher, Sculpture, Sept ’99 – Feb’00
List of previous/current Moving Image Bursary recipients:
2025: Danny Foley
2024: Ailbhe Reilly Tuite
2023: Mary O’Leary, Moving Image, Oct’23- Mar’24
2022: Myfanwy Frost Jones, Moving Image, Oct’22- Mar’23
2021: Rachel Daly, Moving Image, Oct’21- Mar’22
List of previous/current Graduate Residency recipients:
2025:
2024: Lara Quinn, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’23 – June’24, Claire Brennan, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’23 – June’24
2023: Saoirse Radford, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’23 – June’24, Abbie O’Mahony, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’23 – June’24
2022: Ashling Walsh, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’22 – June’23, Róisín Moloney, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’22 – June’23
2021: Siobhán O’Connor, Painting, Nov’21 – Apr’22, Nicola Sheehan, Print/Mixed Media, Nov’21 – Apr’22
2020: Lily O’Shea, Mixed Media, May’21 – Sept’21, Margaret Phelan, Painting, May’21 – Sept’21
2019: Luke Hickey, Painting, Oct’19 – Jun’20, Sinead Barrett, Painting, Oct’19 – Jun’20
2018: Katrina Tracuma, Painting, Mar’19 – Jun’19, Eamon Casey, Painting, Oct’18 – Jun’ 19, Anne May Tabb, Painting, Oct’18 – Feb’ 19
2017: Gerard O’Callaghan, Painting, Oct’16 – Jun’17, Elaine Quigley Ahern, Painting, Oct’16 – Jun’17
2016: Pauline Gibbons , Painting, Oct’15 – Jun’16, Killian Dwyer, Painting, Oct’15 – Jun’16
2015: Femke Vandenberg, Painting, Oct’14 – May’15, Billy Dante , Painting, Oct’14 – Jun’15
2014: Helen O’Donovan, Painting, Oct’13 – Jun’14, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Painting, Oct’13 – Jun’14
2013: Tracy Fitzgerald, Painting, Oct’12 – Jun’13, John Kent, Painting, Oct’12 – Jun’13
2012: Ray Llewellyn, Painting, Oct’11 – Jun’12, Lana Shucks, Painting, Oct’11 – Jun’12
2011: Brigid Delahunty, Painting, Oct’10 – Jun’11, Laura Healy , Painting, Oct’10 – Jun’1
2010: Elizabeth O’Callaghan, Painting, Oct’09 – Jun’10, Aoife O’Brien , Painting, Oct’09 – Jun’10
2009: Amanda Rice, Painting, Oct’08 – June’09, Elayne O’Connor, Painting, Oct’08 – June’09
2008: Donal Moloney, Painting, Oct’07 – June’08, Eva Maher, Painting, Oct’07 – June’08
2007: Mark Whelan, Painting, Oct’06 – June’07, Siobhán Grace, Painting, Oct’06 – June’07
2006: Sharon McCarthy, Painting, Oct’05 – June’06, Janet Ellis, Painting, Oct’05 – June’06
2005: Susan Holland, Painting, Oct’04 – June’05, Emma Sweeney, Painting, Oct’04 – June’05
2004: Helena Tobin, Painting, Oct’03 – June’04, Eamonn O’Callaghan, Painting, Oct’03 – June’04
2003: Kieran Moore, Painting, Oct’02 – June’03, Lynda Loughnane, Painting, Oct’02 – June’03
2002: Brian Harte, Painting, Oct’01 – June’02, Colm Rooney, Painting, Oct’01 – June’02