What are MA SPACE alumni doing since graduating?

The majority of our graduates from MA SPACE have found employments within the cultural sector both nationally and internationally. To give a small snapshot of our graduates ongoing arts practices here are a few examples;

Joanna Hopkins, one of our first graduates is currently DCU and Firestation Studios Artist in Residence. Joanna is exhibiting at the Science Gallery, Dublin April 2019. Pauline O'Connell, 2012 graduate, is currently undertaking PhD studies at the University of Amsterdam, Holland. Pauline has returned to MA SPACE as a visiting lecturer. Sarah Daly, 2012 graduate, is Executive Director of Creative Spark, Dundalk.

Betsy Carreyette is the founder of the residency programme, Agben ga Adrar Netlakt, (House at Clay Mountain), in Siwa Oasis, Egypt. Betsy is currently completing her doctorate research at University of Sunderland, UK, where she aims to transpose crucial culturally-engaged discourse into the heart of contemporary ceramic practice.

Blindboy Boatclub completed his Masters with MA SPACE in 2015 and has since returned as a visiting lecturer to the programme. Steve Maher graduated in 2012, is a successful visual and relational artist based between Limerick, Ireland and Helsinki, Finland. Maher's work is centred on collaboration, relation and dialogue.

Mary Conroy is currently working on a long term European funded social art project in Limerick city with Ormston House Gallery, Mary returned to us as a visiting lecturer this year, she graduated in 2013. Lotte Bender developed the Street Line Critics project in 2013, in 2015 she took the Street Line Critics On Tour, as part of ‘Gaming the System’ Festival, Kulosaari, Helsinki, Finland. She is currently with Pamalotte Studios.

Tricia O'Connor graduate from 2012 is a founder member of K-FEST, K-FEST is a dynamic arts festival in Killorglin, Co. Kerry, now in its sixth year. Ann Ryan, graduate from 2018, is working with the Limerick Youth Service, continuing the project she initiated on the programme, they are working together towards celebrations of the Limerick Soviet. Eszter Nemethi, 2017 graduate, is currently a curator at Quarter Block Party, Cork and is a founder member of Makesift Ensemble.

Graduate Liz Nillson developed a social art project in Beddingestrand on the south coast of Sweden in 2017, she continues to develop this site-specific art project in both Dublin and Sweden.

Deirdre Power, Jackie Hehir, Aisling Guider, Aoife Cox and Mary Conroy have worked on social art projects for EVA International Biennale of Art, Limerick in 2012 and 2016.

Michael Cleary, 2017 graduate, continues a practice of creating tactical urban fabrications, working with artist Fiona Woods on the Laboratory of Common Interest. Julie Griffith and Maeve Collins project Fold and Rise, developed on MA SPACE, is also part of this project.

2014 graduate Ciaran Nash while travelling in Nairobi, Kenya researched mobile phone-based money transfer, financing, and microfinancing services and the philanthropic and developmental ramifications of these. He investigates the possibilities of alternative economies and currencies through a series of public dialogues and workshops in the Laboratory of Common Interest, a project which coincided with the centenary of the Limerick Soviet in Ireland 2019.

Shortly after graduating in 2018 Bernadette Hopkins was commissioned by the Donegal Intercultural Platform and Donegal Arts Office to contribute to county cultural policy. She has organised four cultural events to contribute to the creation of a framework document for intercultural arts and culture in the county. The concluding event was, the ‘Culture Crossroads Café’, at the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny 2019. Bernadette is also curating and chairing a series of monthly artist talks called ‘Radical ReThink’ in the Regional Culture Centre, Letterkenny. Ashleigh Downey is currently in collaboration with Green Sod Ireland, since developing a new art and science focused education programme called Connect while on MA SPACE in 2018.

Fiona Reilly and Julie Griffiths were awarded the Arts Council of Ireland Next Generation Artists Award (Fiona in 2016) and (Julie in 2017) shortly after completing the programme. The purpose of the Next Generation artists €20,000 award is to support promising artists across all disciplines at an early but pivotal stage in their career. Fiona Reilly is a recipient of the studio 468 awards programme CITIZEN ARTIST 2016-2018.

Multiple MA SPACE graduates have been awarded the Arts Council of Ireland and CREATE managed collaborative arts Awards, as well as local authority arts funding. Our graduates also win funding from outside of the arts sector, from sources such as heritage and environmental funding.

"The large range of visiting lectures is a vital networking opportunity for the MA candidates, it’s a chance to make lasting connections with practitioners and arts professionals..."

"Very structured strong program but also very open to students input..."

Current Project Profile

Julie Griffiths and Maeve Collins met in 2013 while studying for their Masters in Social Practice and the Creative Environment at the School of Art and Design in Limerick, and have been collaborating since. The Fold and Rise project emerged out of a workshop they developed during their studies. Five years later, the project continues. Last year Julie and Maeve were invited to Aras an Uachtarain by President Michael D. Higgins to celebrate 100 years of women's suffrage, they also took part in the 'I Sea Art' Festival on the Greek Island of Efstratios, making bread in the village square with the island women for a week, talking about the exiles who were sent to the island during the civil war. In September ‘Fold and Rise’ took part in the 'Centenary of Women MPs' (UK) conference in Westminster. Most recently the artists participated in Culture night, (Co Laois) making dough with 30+ women and discussing the life of Constance Markievicz, the inspiration for the project.

For updates on the continued work see the Fold and Rise website

http://foldandrise.wixsite.com/fold-and-rise

What MA SPACE Graduates have to say…

“MA SPACE has provided me with a lot of tools that I use with the Pause Play Collective ...rethinking my strategies in engaging my community of interest and mapping options that will promote longevity in the project. Pause Play Collective (pAUSE PlAY) is an arts and music collective that was established in 2012 by artists Dominique Amman and Tricia O’Connor. Since then, pAUSE PlAY has held multi-faceted events involving art, music, and vintage boutiques in various locations across County Kerry, enabling divergent artistic practices to be exhibited under a single name." Tricia O’Connor, Artist, Tralee, Co. Kerry

Steve Maher is a visual and relational artist based in Helsinki, Finland. Maher's work is centered on collaboration, relation and dialogue. “MA SPACE equips graduates with a wide range of experiences and examples for a sustainable career as a socially engaged artist. Work with peers from a diverse background. A wide range of research topics are discussed as part of the project. The large range of visiting lectures is a vital networking opportunity for the MA candidates, it’s a chance to make lasting connections with practitioners and arts professionals. Very structured strong program but also very open to students input.” Steve Maher, artist, Helsinki/Limerick.

Liz Nilsson is a multi-disciplinary artist who shares her time between Dublin and south of Sweden. Liz studied art and textile design in Sweden. ”MA SPACE gave me the tools to strengthen my involvement and relationship with community through expressive activities and communication. The project I developed for the Fältstudier project in Sweden whilst on the MA SPACE programme has now become a sustainable model of practice.” Liz Nilsson, Sweden/Ireland.

Betsy Carreyette is the founder of the residency programme, Agben ga Adrar Netlakt, (House at Clay Mountain), in Siwa Oasis, Egypt. Betsy is currently completing a doctorate research at University of Sunderland, UK, where she aims to transpose crucial culturally-engaged discourse into the heart of contemporary ceramic practice. Zeneb Maghrebi’s (aka Betsy Carreyette)

“As a result of my final project I completed for MA SPACE, Your Video Here, I was offered my first ever artist residency in 2012. Come the end of 2015, I will have completed my eight residency, all of which have been free and/or paid. I spend a huge amount of time applying for exhibitions, grants, funding, public art commissions, residencies and jobs. I still follow the Visiting Lecture Project Template format compiled for us, (on MA SPACE) and I use it as a base for every project I apply for and every art project I undertake myself.” Joanna Hopkins-

Joanna Hopkins-

“As a result of my final project I completed for MA SPACE, Your Video Here, I was offered my first artist residency... I will have completed my eight residency, all of which have been free and/or paid. I spend a huge amount of time applying for exhibitions, grants, funding, public art commissions, residencies and jobs. I still follow the Visiting Lecture Project template format compiled for us, (on MA SPACE) and I use it as a base for every project I apply for and every art project I undertake myself.”