GTG is pleased to be able to share news from Kitabna, one of our long-time partners. As part of Newry Mourne and Down Districts Council’s Thriving Together initiative, supported by PEACEPLUS, Kitabna is offering 3 paid artist residency opportunities this summer/autumn 2026 in ‘Mapping the Mournes: Exploring our shared heritage through place with Irish, Ulster Scots and the languages of the mountains’.
Mapping the Mournes is a series of indoor and outdoor workshops taking place from summer to winter celebrating the past and future of Irish, Ulster Scots and the languages of the mountains, in collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast and local artists. Participants will join us for a series of:
- Walks in the Mournes
- Creative mapping workshops
- Exploring the Mournes by boat
- Arts workshops celebrating Irish and Ulster Scots
Workshop dates planned so far are:
- August 21st – 22nd
- September 17th – 18th
- October 23rd – 24th
Each artist would be invited to join for a minimum of two workshops, and respond to themes of language, mountains and mapping in the Mournes, with a total fee of £600 per artist shared across August-November. Artists can work in any medium (music, visual arts, literature, theatre, film) and must be based in, or from, the Mournes region, and identify with any of the following language backgrounds:
- Irish
- Ulster Scots
- newcomer/resettlement
To apply
Expressions of interest, with portfolio / CV, can be sent to Helen Patuck at helen@kitabna.org and will be shared with a small review board at Queen’s University Belfast.
