Connected Horizons Programme – Organisations & Show and Tell Fermanagh | Laois | Limerick | Roscommon | Sligo | Wicklow (4 Nov)

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Visual Artists Ireland

Published 22/10/2025 - 3 hours ago

Organisations

Hambly & Hambly

Hambly & Hambly is a Gallery and Cultural Hub based in Northern Ireland & France. Extending beyond the usual concept of a white box gallery, H&H provides exciting new opportunities for learning, development and art appreciation within all art disciplines. Workshops and residencies for individuals and groups are provided all year round. H&H are delighted to integrate music, literature and performance into visual art creative processes and exhibitions with performances. Having recently curated bespoke visual art collections for Lough Erne Resort and Belle Isle Estate, H&H represent their artists, with whom they work closely, with determination, vigour and innovation.

Ciara Hambly

Ciara Hambly is Founder, Director, Curator & Events Organiser of Hambly & Hambly Gallery and Cultural Hub N Ireland and France. Ciara is passionate about progressing new opportunities in the arts for local, national and international communities to educate, progress and enthuse artists and art participants and audiences in new and innovative ways.

Dunamaise Arts Centre

Dunamaise Arts Centre is a multi-disciplinary arts hub in the heart of Portlaoise. Established in 1999 in a converted courthouse and gaol, it features a gallery, theatre, cinema, café, and spaces for classes and events.

A registered charity governed by a voluntary Board of Directors, Dunamaise plays a key role in Ireland’s arts ecosystem. Renowned for its technical excellence, welcoming atmosphere, and community focus, it hosts touring theatre, music, and film while supporting local drama and musical societies, stage schools, and artists across Laois and the Midlands. It’s gallery presents work by leading national and emerging local artists, attracting collectors, critics, and students. Alongside performances and exhibitions, Dunamaise offers workshops, Q&As, and discussions exploring issues from local culture to global themes. Driven by a small, dedicated team, Dunamaise remains the cultural heart of County Laois—creative, collaborative, and deeply connected to its community.

Laura Amy Dunne

Laura Amy Dunne is a team member at Dunamaise Arts Centre. Working in the areas of Communications, Sales and Programming. With over 10 years experience of working in a busy venue, Laura has grown a strong passion for supporting artists and creatives to bring their work to life and to reach audiences across all ages, stages and backgrounds. With a background spanning science and psychotherapy, Laura has a particular keen passion for socially engaged arts practice, and has worked both as a facilitator as well as a curator of creative events and projects with strong audience focus.

As a psychotherapist, her thesis focused on the exploration of nurturing creativity for change; a topic which has been the theme of her approach working with clients, artists and community groups across multi-disciplinary projects. In her personal practice, Laura values the art of traditional crafts, and has produced and exhibited through the media of graphic design, ceramics, and millinery.

Spacecraft Artists’ Studios

Spacecraft is a not-for-profit, artist-led studio and project space in Limerick city. Spacecraft was established in 2017 by graduates of Limerick School of Art & Design. We provide affordable studio spaces & a community for visual artists in Limerick. We currently facilitate eight artists with affordable studio space alongside an open plan Project Space. Spacecraft runs an associate membership programme designed to temporarily provide local artists with access to our facilities. Our mission is to provide workspaces that support early career practitioners and help members sustain and grow their visual arts practices through professional development opportunities and shared resources.

Through the creation of common resources, both artistic and otherwise, Spacecraft aim to foster a space which is conducive to shared responsibility and open communication between members. The Spacecraft Project Space is a multi-purpose resource for creatives in the mid-west and beyond to facilitate projects needing a space for large-scale creation, project development, meetings, workshops and much more.

Carey Long

Carey Long is a visual artist, curator, and cultural event producer based in Limerick City since 2018, following her graduation from the Limerick School of Art & Design. In 2022, she became Director of Spacecraft Studios, where she has been a studio member since 2018. In this role, she is committed to fostering inclusive and innovative programming that supports diverse artistic practices, encourages professional development, and strengthens community engagement within Limerick’s arts sector.

Since 2020, Carey’s curatorial practice has focused on research-led initiatives. Most recently, she co-organised and facilitated a peer critique programme in collaboration with curator Dylan Ryan. This initiative brought together six local artists for biweekly, peer-led discussions, providing a supportive platform to present work and exchange constructive feedback—aimed at building confidence and strengthening the local arts community.

Her visual art practice centres on sculptural and installation works incorporating grown materials and found objects, with the aim of reconnecting audiences with nature.

Roscommon Arts Centre

Roscommon Arts Centre is a vibrant, purpose-built arts space with a strong commitment to showcasing and supporting visual art. At the heart of RAC’s programme is a dynamic and ambitious approach to presenting contemporary visual art that engages audiences and contributes meaningfully to the cultural development of County Roscommon.

RAC offers a dedicated platform for both professional and community-based visual artists, providing opportunities to exhibit work in a supportive and well-resourced environment. The visual art programme features solo and group exhibitions, artist talks, and participatory projects that invite the local community to connect with visual art in meaningful ways.

In addition to the Centre’s visual art focus, it also presents a multi-disciplinary programme including theatre, dance, music, comedy, literature, and cinema. The Centre hosts workshops and classes for children and adults both on-site and off-site, encouraging creative engagement across all artforms.

Roscommon Arts Centre recognises the central role of the artist in the creative process and is committed to supporting visual artists at all stages of their careers. It aims to expand opportunities for artists through residencies, commissions, and professional development initiatives, fostering a vibrant visual arts community in the region.

Catherine Lee

Catherine Lee is the Arts & Culture Venue Manager with Roscommon Arts Centre since May 2024.

The Model

The Model is a museum at the heart of its community, offering varied perspectives on art, ideas, culture and identity. Through dynamic and experimental programming, we connect the traditional with the contemporary, creating experiences that resonate locally and internationally. We champion artists, care for the Niland Collection, and engage audiences in socially relevant, transformative artistic processes.

Lorna Kavanagh

Lorna Kavanagh is the newly appointed Learning and Public Engagement Curator at The Model. In this role, Lorna will lead on arts programmes and community engagement initiatives, with a focus on accessibility, inclusion, and meaningful connections through art. Lorna brings past experience from previous roles, including Project Manager with Kids’ Own Publishing, Education Executive at Rua Red Arts Centre, and earlier intern positions at Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane and The Model as an Education Assistant. These experiences have shaped Lorna’s strong commitment to making the arts open, dynamic, and accessible to all.

Mermaid Arts Centre

Mermaid Arts Centre is County Wicklow’s creative engine-room. With a theatre, gallery, cinema, café and a lively programme of events to enjoy and participate in, they are a home for artists and artistic communities to create, connect and make memories. Their purpose is driven by a fundamental belief in the power of shared experience and connection in combatting loneliness and isolation among people, and in the right to freedom of artistic expression and creation for all. Mermaid presents approximately five to six exhibitions every year with an accompanying programme of screenings and events. These include the sound art platform The Listening Group, screening of artist films, workshops and talks. Exhibitions are generally programmed up to two years in advance. The exhibition programme is a curated programme and does not accept or solicit proposals, apart from occasional Open Calls every three to four years. While Mermaid seeks to support artists from or based in Wicklow, the balance of its programme also includes artists from the island of Ireland and internationally.

Anne Mullee

Anne Mullee is currently the Gallery Programme Curator at Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray, also maintaining an independent practice as a curator, researcher and writer. Over the past decade she has initiated and commissioned new work from artists for over 40 projects including public art, gallery exhibitions and site-specific projects, as well as producing artist-made film. She is the founder of the curatorial research platform Stuck Behind a Tractor, an apparatus to examine contemporary art in rural contexts.

Her writing has appeared in the art publications PVA, Visual Artists News Sheet and the Irish Museum Journal, among others. She is the recipient of residencies and awards from Cow House Studios, Wexford (2025/2024/2023), Kooshk Residency, Tehran, Iran (2015), The Good Hatchery (2016), the Arts Council , European Connections in Digital Arts (EUCIDA), Clare County Council, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Council and Dublin City Council. She was previously curator of The Courthouse Gallery & Studios, Ennistymon, Co. Clare (2016-19), and Acting Curator at The LAB, Dublin City Council (2013-14). She holds hold an MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management from UCD, a HND in Fashion Journalism from the University of the Arts (London) and a Certificate in Art & Design Certificate from TUD. Prior to working as a curator she worked in media as an editor and staff writer for London-based magazines and newspapers and later as a producer, director and development producer making programmes for Channel 4, Chanel 5 and the BBC.

Who Can Join?

Artists in any discipline based in the six listed counties.
Cost: €15 for artists based in Fermanagh, Laois, Limerick, Roscommon, Sligo or Wicklow (€5 per session)
If you would like to present at the show and tell – complete the section of the form to indicate your interest. There is an artists fee of €50 for those selected. Spaces will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

How to Register

Further Connected Horizons programmes for other counties will be announced soon.

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Venue	Online
Starts	Tue Nov 4 2025, 2:00pm GMT
Ends	Tue Nov 4 2025, 4:30pm GMT

WEBINARS and ONLINE EVENTS: We use Zoom to host our online events. If you have not used Zoom before, we recommend that you read the following text and ensure that you have tested it out before registering for a Webinar. The following text should be followed and tested before registering for a Cafe or Help Desk Event. Zoom have an excellent Help Desk service if you are experiencing problems.

VAI works in partnership with Local Authorities, visual arts venues and others, combining resources to support the professional development of visual artists at regional level.

If you have a specific training requirement, contact us by email info@visualartists.ie or telephone us +353 (0)1 6729488