Arts
In Ireland we are proud of our artists. Their contribution to Irish society is invaluable. The RDS is particularly proud to support artists at a crucially early stage in their professional career. We do this across visual art, music and craft, and help future generations reach their potential.
The RDS has a proud history of supporting the arts and was central to the establishment of several of our national cultural institutions. The RDS Arts Programme today provides significant financial support, as well as performance, studio, residency and exhibition opportunities to artists starting out in their professional careers.
OPEN CALL
2026 RDS Craft Awards
The RDS Craft Awards comprise three categories with a total prize fund of up to €62,000. Now in the second year of the fully reimagined format, the Awards support makers at all stages of their careers, with all verified applications reviewed by an independent judging panel. Entry is free, and the Awards are open to craft makers living on the island of Ireland as well as Irish born makers working overseas.
Next application window: 2 March – 13 April 2026. Links to all category application forms will be provided below.
RDS Finding Common Ground Festival
Art for climate justice. Creativity for change. RDS Foundation Arts is proud to support artists leading the conversation. Following the recent artist Open Call for the RDS Finding Common Ground, our finalists have a variety of events taking place across the festival. We encourage you to discover them through the links below.
-
Spoken word poet Cormac Mac Gearailt presents a selection of his award-winning work. Delivered in both the English and Irish languages, Cormac will explore heritage and tradition, as well as ecological and language loss, the threats to nature and the world, and what must be done to tackle them.
Beginning with the seed that takes root, Cormac’s work will move through tradition, loss and crisis, and end on a note of hope and the need for collective action, all delivered in his trademark engaging, embodied style.
-
Join some of Ireland's favourite comedians while they navigate the Climate Crisis through the renewable power of Comedy! Hitting on hilarious topics such as Climate Justice, Ecology & Sustainability no comedy stone will be left unturned! Serious times call for humorous measures so we can laugh, learn and connect together while firing into action!
Featuring award winning Colm O'Regan (author of Climate Worrier), Diane O'Connor ( The Accidental Activist), Aine Gallagher (aka "Queen of the Off Beat") and Joe Rooney (Father Ted) . Collectively they have played every top club and festival in Ireland and together we will laugh our way to a better future, probably...
-
“Navigating the Forest” is a sculptural installation of nine partially carved branches from an oak tree grown in Ireland from an acorn brought back from the Somme after World War I. Drawing on the archetype of the World Tree, the artist engraves map‑like patterns into the branches to explore how humans understand, use, and damage natural resources and ecosystems. Arranged as a ritual grove, the work invites viewers to reflect on their relationship with land and ecology, while a central uncarved branch invites them to mark places of personal meaning, creating a collective map of all who engage with the piece.
Join the artist Murrough O'Donovan on a tour of his sculptural installation.
