Creative Ireland, supported by Carlow County Council Arts Office and in collaboration with Carlow County Council Library Services are delighted to announce that we are currently accepting applications for an exciting new Initiative 'Photographer in Residence 2026-2027.
The residency is designed to document, celebrate and engage with the people, places and communities of County Carlow through photography.
The residency will provide a photographer with the opportunity to develop a body of work that captures everyday life across the county over the course of a year. Through changing seasons, community events, local traditions, urban and rural landscapes, and the lives of people who call Carlow home, the residency will create a unique visual archive of County Carlow at a particular moment in time.
Community engagement is an important aspect of this residency as communities are essential to making our villages and towns inviting places to live, learn and work in. This residency should capture those groups and individuals who work to sustain and improve County Carlow. Alongside the creation of new photographic work, the residency will place a strong emphasis on the ‘Human’ stories, capturing Carlow in an informatively, honest and interesting way. The photographer can complete this through their own proposed suggestion or through initiating public engagement and interviews.
The selected photographer will work collaboratively with a variety of different groups and organisations across the county of Carlow for example communities, organisations, schools, libraries and community groups, sharing skills and sharing stories while encouraging participation in photography through workshops, photo walks, talks and creative engagement opportunities.
The County Carlow Photographer in Residence Programme presents an exciting opportunity to document the county through the eyes of a creative photographer while placing community engagement and ‘Human stories’ at the heart of the creative process. It is envisioned through photography, the residency will celebrate local stories and leave a lasting visual legacy of the people, places and events that shape County Carlow today.
Important Information:
- The project can only take place in the County of Carlow
- It must be free for participants
- It must be accessible and inclusive
- The maximum amount of funding being allocated is €8,000 for the 12 months residency (this is to include all materials, travel, artistic fee, overheads). It does not include exhibiting the work for a final showpiece-this will be discussed with the successful applicant)
- Only one photographer will be selected
CLOSING DATE IS 1PM ON SEPTEMBER 11TH
Any queries can be emailed to croberts@carlowcoco.ie or artsservice@carlowcoco.ie
Applications are now open and can be made through Photographer in Residence 2026-2027 | Carlow County Council's Online Consultation Portal