The Age & Opportunity Awards consist of the Creative Ageing Writing Bursary, Professional Development Artist Award and Emerging Artist Award. The deadline for all three awards is 5pm, Friday 22 March 2024.

To get a sense of the work these awards support, you can read about the 2023 award winners here.

Creative Ageing Writing Bursary 2024

Launched in 2021, the Age & Opportunity Creative Ageing Writing Bursary aims to generate discussion, debate and knowledge about the growing arts and ageing sector in Ireland. The recipient of this bursary is required to write an essay reflecting on their practice as an artist, writer, or arts worker, their experiences working with older people in the arts, or other ideas relating to the arts and ageing that influence their work, thinking and research.

This essay will be published on the Age & Opportunity and Bealtaine websites, and shared widely amongst the arts and ageing sector.

It is hoped that through offering time and space for an artist to reflect on these ideas, the resulting essay will become a useful resource for people who work with or are thinking of working with older people (including older artists), while generating discussion and debate about this area of work. In the coming years, we hope to contribute to this growing body of knowledge of the arts and ageing in Ireland as we continue to offer this award. One award of €1000 will be made to the successful applicant.

Creative Ageing Writing Bursary Application Form

Creative Ageing Writing Bursary Guidelines

Professional Development Artist Award 2024

Developing as an artist is a lifelong commitment, and Age & Opportunity Arts is particularly committed to supporting new opportunities for older artists as they continue to hone their creative practice or develop expertise in other artforms.

The Professional Development Artist Award was launched in 2022 in order to support the development needs of older artists. Through this award, older artists are encouraged to seek out further learning, training, research, or other activities that benefit their career and practice. One award of €1000 will be made to the successful applicant.

Professional Development Application Form

Professional Development Artist Award Guidelines

Emerging Artist Award

As part of continuing work to support older artists at every stage of their career, Age & Opportunity launched the Emerging Artist Bursary in 2022 to encourage those at an early stage in their career. There can be many barriers preventing people to take up artistic practice at a younger age, and Age & Opportunity recognises that there is no age limit on ‘emerging’. This award is also important in how it promotes the concept of lifelong learning and the ability we all have to grow at any age.

Through this award Age & Opportunity Arts would like to celebrate an exciting, up-and-coming artist aged 50+ who shows dedication and determination as they embark on a new path to becoming a professional artist. This award can be put towards activities that develop their practice further or the creation of new work. One award of €1000 will be made to the successful applicant.

Emerging Artist Application Form

Emerging Artist Award Guidelines

Please read the guidelines above before submitting your application form.The deadline for all three awardsis 5pm, Friday 22 March 2024.

Age & Opportunity welcomes applications from all communities, and particularly encourages artists from underrepresented communities to apply.