Cork County Council Stay Connected Arts News

 

Applications Open for Cork County Council Emerging Visual Artist Award 

Cork County Council’s Arts Office is delighted to announce an open call for applications to the Emerging Visual Artist Award, supporting County Cork artists at a pivotal stage in their professional development. Now in its third year, the award is designed to help an emerging visual artist take the next step in their career through financial, curatorial and professional support. Please contact arts@corkcoco.ie for queries, full guidelines or application forms. The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 6th November 2026.

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Cultural Companions in Youghal – Developing Local Connections

Youghal Active Retirement Association Social Subgroup is looking at how Cultural Companions could potentially be developed locally in Youghal. The aim is to create more opportunities for people to connect through arts, culture, heritage and community activities, while making it easier for local members to find out about activities and get together.

A local group could help with coordination in Youghal, allowing members to share ideas, suggest activities and organise opportunities that reflect local interests. This might include visits to exhibitions, music and performances, heritage events, creative activities, walks, talks or simply meeting up and enjoying good company.

We're at an early stage and would really like to hear from people who might be interested in being involved.

Interested in joining a Youghal group?

If you'd like to be added to a specific Youghal Cultural Companions group so that you can hear about local activities and opportunities as they develop, please let us know.

You don't need to have any particular experience or role. Whether you're interested in arts, music, history, local heritage, creative activities or simply meeting other people and getting out and about, we'd love to hear from you.

The idea is to develop something local, welcoming and shaped by the people who take part.

If you're interested in being added to the Youghal group, please contact the Cultural Companions coordinator and let us know at culture@muintircork.com

Celebrate Women in Jazz with Cultural Companions 22nd October 🎷🎷🎷

 

Cork City Cultural Companions 🎷🎶

For our October Cork City get-together,🎷 we're heading to Cork City Library on Grand Parade for an afternoon of free live music and conversation.

We'll start with Women in Jazz, presented by Cork-based jazz vocalist Ivy Favier.

From the 1940s to the present day, women in jazz have often been overlooked. Ivy will bring their stories, achievements and contribution to the world of jazz into the spotlight.

🎷 Women in Jazz with Ivy Favier
📅 Thursday 22 October
🕚 11:00am–12:00 noon
📍 City Library, Grand Parade
🎟️ Free

We'll then have a break for lunch or coffee together before returning to the library for:

🎶 Timeless Jazz Standards with Neasa
🕐 1:00–2:00pm
📍 City Library, Grand Parade
🎟️ Free

This is a lovely opportunity to enjoy some live music together in the city, with both events taking place in the library.

We're looking for one member to volunteer as a meet-and-greeter and welcome people as they arrive. If you'd be happy to do this, please let the Cultural Companions coordinator.

There is no charge for either event.

If you'd like to come along, please let the coordinator know so we have an idea of who is attending.

We hope you can join us for an enjoyable afternoon of jazz! 🎷

Bandon Cultural Companions – Initial Meeting 🌿19th Oct

 

Bandon Cultural Companions – Initial Meeting 🌿

We're delighted to be getting a new Cultural Companions group started in Bandon, and we'd love you to be part of it from the beginning.

We're inviting interested members to an initial get-together where we can meet one another, have a chat and start sharing ideas about what we'd like the Bandon group to become.

This will be a chance to talk about the kinds of arts, culture, heritage and community activities that might interest local members, as well as how we can create opportunities to get together, take part and enjoy each other's company.

Most importantly, this is an opportunity for members to help shape the group from the outset. There are no set plans yet- we'd really like to hear your ideas and see what interests people locally.

📅 Monday 19 October
🕟 4.30pm
📍 Board Room, Bandon Town Hall

Whether you're already familiar with Cultural Companions or are simply interested in finding out more, you're very welcome to come along.

We hope you can join us and help us lay the foundations for a welcoming and active Cultural Companions group in Bandon. 💛

Please let the Cultural Companions coordinator know if you can attend.

Bealtaine Gathering – Dublin 🍂🎭14th October

 

Bealtaine Gathering – Dublin 🍂🎭

A couple of Cultural Companions members are planning to attend the Bealtaine Gathering in Dublin, and we'd love to hear from anyone else who might be interested in joining us: especially our wonderful volunteers.

The Bealtaine Gathering brings together people interested in creativity, the arts and ageing, with a programme of talks, performances, conversations and creative projects throughout the day. The programme includes contributions from poet Rita Ann Higgins, theatre and arts organisations, artists and performers, as well as a panel exploring inclusion as a creative opportunity.

📅 Wednesday 14 October 2026
🕥 10:30am–4:00pm
📍 National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin
🍴 Light lunch included

🚆 Travelling together

We're looking at travelling by train from Cork City to Dublin, with members able to join the group at Mallow. If you have Free Travel, you can use this for the train journey. Otherwise, train travel will be at your own expense.

The Cultural Companions coordinator has a limited number of complimentary tickets for the Gathering, which we'd like to offer to interested members and volunteers.

If you'd be interested in coming along, please contact the Cultural Companions coordinator as soon as possible. culture@muintircork.com

It should be an interesting day 🍂

Bantry Hub: Meet the Makers 🎨20th October

 

Bantry Hub: Meet the Makers 🎨

For our October Bantry hub gathering, we're heading along to the West Cork Feel Good Festival for a special afternoon celebrating creativity, community and the work of people living with dementia in West Cork.

Mind and Motion is a creative arts project for people living with dementia in West Cork. Led by Jonathan Cairns and supported by Gemma Casey, the project created a welcoming Creative Studio at the Westlodge Hotel in Bantry, moving away from a traditional clinical setting.

The project participants' work will be on exhibition at Bantry Library from Saturday 10 October for two weeks.

As part of the festival, there will be a Meet the Makers afternoon with guest speakers Jonathan Cairns, Vanessa Bradbury, Sarah Cairns and Anne O'Donovan, followed by a visit to the exhibition at Bantry Library.

📅 Tuesday 20 October 2026
🕑 Meet at 2:00pm
⏰ Event: 2:00–3:00pm
📍 Bridge Street Community Café, Bantry, P75 EC42
🎨 Followed by a visit to Bantry Library

The event is organised by the West Cork Dementia Inclusive Project as part of the West Cork Feel Good Festival.

This is an informal, member-led Cultural Companions gathering. There won't be a formal Cultural Companions programme, members can meet up, enjoy the afternoon together and take part in the event and exhibition visit.

We need a Bantry member to volunteer to be the meet-and-greeter at 2:00pm. This simply means being there at the agreed meeting point, welcoming members as they arrive and helping people find each other. If you'd be happy to do this, please let the Cultural Companions coordinator know in the form below

We'd love to hear how you get on, so please share your feedback and any ideas for future Bantry activities with the Cultural Companions coordinator afterwards.

We hope you can join us!

Mallow Hub: Gather & Share Tuesday 20th October

Mallow Hub: Gather & Share

Following suggestions from members at our recent gathering, we're trying something a little different in October.

Mallow Cultural Companions members are invited to get together informally for a chat, to share stories and memories, perhaps sing a song, or simply enjoy some good company.

This is a peer-led gathering, so there won't be an organiser or formal programme on the day. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether you'd like to share something or simply listen and chat. Everyone pays for their own coffee, lunch or drink.

It's also a chance to talk together about what you'd like the Mallow hub to do over the coming weeks and months: perhaps outings, cultural events, music, walks, shared lunches or simply more opportunities to meet up.

📅 Tuesday 20 October
🕜 1:30pm
📍 Maureen's, Mallow

This time also gives anyone who takes part in the Tuesday morning walking group the option of coming along afterwards.

Please let us know you are coming here: https://forms.gle/oT2mtykvh5KcyAau9

We're looking for a member to volunteer to meet and greet people at the start and help everyone feel welcome. If you'd be happy to do this, please let the Cultural Companions coordinator know.

We'd love to hear how you get on. Please share your feedback and any ideas for future activities with the Cultural Companions coordinator afterwards.