Sample-Studios has won the Business to Arts Award for Best Philanthropic Support of the Arts, with our partner Tomar Trust for our Studios of Sanctuary residency programme for artists from an asylum seeker, refugee or migrant background. At the award ceremony held at the National Concert Hall on September 12th, Sample-Studios’ Artistic Director Aoibhie McCarthy was presented with the overall prize from a shortlist of philanthropic partnerships that included ESB & Lime Tree Theatre, Belltable and Theatre Royal Waterford; Rethink Ireland and Sing Ireland, and Suzanne Lopez and Museum of Literature Ireland.
Read Irish Times article here.
Established in 2021, the Best Philanthropic Support to the Arts Award seeks to recognise an individual, corporate foundation, trust, or other philanthropic organisation that has displayed an outstanding commitment to supporting the arts. Sample-Studios’ Studios of Sanctuary Programme offers tailored mentorship, training, space and a peer network to artists, writers and filmmakers from an asylum seeker, refugee or migrant background. We, and our residents are thrilled to have our collective work recognised by the Business to Arts judging panel – corporate supporters of the Business to Arts Awards, as well as independent leaders in the arts and representatives from the media.
Since the founding of the Studios of Sanctuary programme in 2021, (supported by Cork Arts Fund at the Community Foundation of Ireland)
Sample-Studios have achieved significant momentum with the resident artists, and this year the programme was expanded to include a 5th new resident, Tetiana Milshyna, a Ukrainian artist now living and working in Ireland. Read more below about the residents and how the Studios of Sanctuary programme has enabled them to reach new heights in their practice and benefit their wider communities of interest:
Neo Gilson is a South African writer, singer and storyteller, living in Direct Provision in Cork City with her young daughter. Her current practice focuses on engaging young people from the asylum seeking community through creative writing. Since commencing the residency, she has secured numerous publishing and public presentation opportunities for her writing. As part of the programme this year, she will receive 1to1 mentorship support from Stevie G, a local radio DJ and community activist to develop her work with young people living in Direct Provision. She has recently secured Irish citizenship.
Catarina Araújo is a Cork City-based Portuguese migrant and visual artist. She is also a youth facilitator in Graffiti Theatre. Her socially engaged practice focuses on mental health and since commencing the residency, she has successfully initiated a research group with mental health nurses and student nurses in UCC School of Nursing to explore the impact of Covid-19 on their work and their own mental health, through her creative practice. In March/April of this year, she had a solo exhibition of sculptural cocoons – relaxing safe spaces that she developed with the nurses in the National Sculpture Factory. They have been exhibited in The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion and Cork Public Museum where they’ve been enjoyed by over 1500 visitors to date. As part of the programme this year, Catarina will receive expert mentorship from Claire Meaney, Director of Waterford Healing Arts Trust and artsandhealth.ie
Jerome Jefferson Kiyemba is a Waterford-based Tanzanian-born emerging documentary filmmaker and activist. Having been a child soldier, Jerome spent 8 years living in the Direct Provision system in Ireland. Since commencing the residency, he has worked with men with Acquired Brain Injuries to develop independent community-based film projects. The premiere of a short film he narrated ‘System’ about Direct Provision was hosted by Indie Cork Film Festival in September 2022 and screened at Chicago Irish Film Festival. Jerome worked on the research and development of award-winning filmmaker Frank Berry’s latest film ‘Aisha’ (premiered at Cork International Film Festival, November 2022) which explores the Irish Direct Provision System. Jerome will be mentored by Frank Berry this year to develop his first feature length film.
Seiko Hayase is a Japanese visual artist whose socially engaged artistic practice focuses on mental health and wellbeing. Her participation in the Studios of Sanctuary programme has supported her to build her confidence and focus on her practice. She is the recipient of the inaugural Cork Midsummer Festival Emerging Artist Award in partnership with Sample-Studios and the Connect 5 Award as part of which she had her first major solo exhibition in GOMA Waterford in 2022. She recently was awarded first prize at the Rua Red open exhibition where she will have a solo exhibition in 2024. She will have a solo exhibition in Cork this July, exhibiting new work developed as part of the Studios of Sanctuary Residency under the mentorship of artist Aideen Barry.
Tetiana Milshyna is a Ukrainian artist, who fled her native Kiev in February 2022 with over 200 of her watercolours under her arm and came to Cork. She became a member of Sample-Studios in April 2022 and had her first solo exhibition with us in July 2022, operating through a translator. Since arriving in Ireland, she has travelled the coast, painting seascape scenes and exploring the Irish landscape. A year one, and now with fluent English, Tetiana joins the Studios of Sanctuary programme where she looks forward to availing of training, mentorship, bursary and peer support that will enable her to further thrive as an artist and a valued member of our community here in Cork.