Artist Opportunity: Romilly Walton Masters Performance Residency 2025-26
Dublin Fringe Festival is proud to partner with Centre Culturel Irlandais once more on this exciting residency opportunity for experimental artists to develop new work in Paris.
This award, established in 2016 in memory of the late director, producer, scriptwriter and friend of the CCI Romilly Walton Masters, supports the making of bold, innovative, experimental performance work in the fields of theatre, music, dance, film or visual art to be experienced by audiences in France and Ireland.
The award enables experimental theatre and performance makers in their early careers to develop an idea for performance during a residency in the CCI in Paris, to show the embryonic performance piece as a work-in-progress, to showcase the final work in Paris and the potential to present it in Ireland as part of Dublin Fringe Festival.
DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE
A residency in Paris offers a performance maker the chance to either work individually over a period of up to three months OR with up to four other collaborators for a period of two weeks. The award will cover travel costs to CCI from within Europe, living expenses in line with the CCI residency programme stipend and accommodation in the Centre Culturel Irlandais.
(Other possible combinations might see 2 makers collaborating for between 2 – 6 weeks; 3 makers for between 2-4 weeks; 4 makers for between 2-3 weeks. The minimum residency is 2 weeks for up to 5 makers and the maximum duration is three months for one maker.)
The developmental residency particularly suits performance makers
- who need time and space to develop an idea either individually or collectively.
- who need a supportive context for risk-taking.
- who intend to work with makers or partners based in a different country.
- who have a particular reason to spend time in Paris (work is set in Paris; there is an intention to work with a Paris-based performer; there are plans to see particular performances in Paris or to meet or showcase work to programmers).
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
There are two performances associated with this award:
- A performance over one or two days/nights at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris with all associated costs funded by the CCI, the Romilly Walton Masters Award and Culture Ireland, including fees, travel and accommodation.
- A potential performance opportunity in Dublin Fringe Festival with the usual DFF suite of programmed artist supports including mentorship and artistic feedback, PR, marketing and venue supports, as well as the possibility of a work-in-progress presentation.
ELIGIBILITY
- The primary applicant should be Irish or normally resident on the island of Ireland.
- Applicants should be emerging performance makers in the early stages of their career, having presented no more than three public productions of their work (whether this be through performance, exhibition or screening) in a professional setting.
- The award is for the making of new work (not revised previous work).
- Applicants should not be in or intend to return to full-time education within the award period (2025-26)
DATES
- Opening date for applications: 14 November 2025
- Closing date for applications: 14 February 2025, 5pm GMT
- Successful applicants will be notified by end of April 2025
- The residency can take place between June 2025 and August 2026 (inclusive)
APPLY
REQUIREMENTS
The recipient is asked to write an evaluation at the end of the process with feedback on their experience, the impact of the award on their career and a schedule of expenses incurred. The recipient should be available for media interviews, if required.
PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS
Zoe Ni Ríordáin (Recovery), Malaprop (Everything Not Saved), FemmeBizarre (Kate Finnegan & Jade O’Connor), HAUS of FASH HUN, Osaro Azams, Martha Knight and Cian Malin, Venus Patel, Jessie Thompson.
CCI and Dublin Fringe Festival thank the Walton Masters family for their ongoing support of Irish performance makers in memory of Romilly Walton Masters.