Sample-Studios celebrates 15 years of creativity, community, and collaboration in 2026 — and looks ahead to the next 15!
Deadline: 12noon December 10th, 2025.
In 2026, Sample-Studios proudly celebrates 15 years of launching, supporting and sustaining creative careers in Cork. To mark this significant milestone, we’re delighted to announce our 15th Anniversary Artist Bursary Programme, a new €15,000 fund for our artist members which is designed to support the development of our members’ practices and celebrate the critical role Sample-Studios and its members play in the cultural fabric of Cork. ‘Sample 15’ reflects Sample-Studios’ enduring commitment to nurturing creative practice and artistic innovation in Cork.
We invite current Sample-Studios members to apply for one of fifteen bursaries. Each bursary will provide financial support of €1,000 to enable artists to expand their practices in 2026 by engaging in one of the following opportunities for which they may not have had access otherwise:
- Mentorship: mentorship with a named experienced mentor.
- Residency: Go on an artist residency, in Ireland or abroad.
- Resources: Purchase of equipment, documentation or other critical resource for your practice development.
Eligibility
- This opportunity is open to current members of Sample-Studios (Studio, Associate, or Creative Network members) to apply. Recipients of the 15 bursaries will be expected to maintain their membership throughout the anniversary year, 2026.
- Proposed activity must be completed within 2026.
- Applications are invited from individual members. Group applications from 2 or more members are not eligible.
- Applicants can apply for a bursary to undertake only one of the three activities outlined above, not a combination of two or more.
How to Apply
Please submit the following in a single PDF (max 10MB) to programme@sample-studios.com with the subject line: Sample 15 Bursary Application
- Artist statement (max 300 words)
- A short CV (max 2 pages)
- Link to artist website (Or social media if you don’t have a website)
- Up to 5 images or links to recent work
- A detailed budget of how you propose to use the €1000 bursary
- A proposal outlining why your proposed activity is critical to the development of your practice and how you would use the bursary (max 500 words) and:
A) Mentorship: If you’re applying to engage in mentorship, you must name your mentor and outline the content of your programme of mentorship, including the number of mentorship sessions, in your proposal outline. The mentorship fee must be agreed in advance.
B) Residency: If you’re applying to go on a residency, the context must be an established artist residency programme/venue. You must include a link to their website and details of their residency offering. You must outline why this particular context will support the development of your practice.
C) Resources: If you’re applying for resources, you may propose the purchase of essential equipment, professional documentation services, or another key resource that will support the advancement of your practice in 2026. In your proposal outline, you must identify the specific resource you wish to access, explain why it is critical to your practice, and include evidence of its cost (such as a quote or a link to the supplier/service provider).
Selection Criteria
Applications will be assessed by a panel of Sample-Studios staff and invited arts professionals based on:
- Quality and clarity of proposal
- Potential impact of the bursary on the artist’s practice
- Feasibility of the proposed activity
Timeline
- Application Information Clinic: An online information clinic will be held from 2.30-3pm on December 3rd. This will be held over Zoom and recordings will be available upon request. Attendees can submit questions in advance or during the Clinic. The Zoom link will be shared via the Members Whatsapp group or by email upon request to director@sample-studios.com
- Deadline for applications: 12noon, December 10th, 2025
- Notification: Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications by December 19th 2025