Mayo's arts and disability award recipients announced
In celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3, 2025), Mayo County Council’s Arts Service has announced the recipients of the UPSTART 2025 Awards.
The arts service has made a considerable investment in arts and disability programming throughout the county over the last number of years, and is again delighted to support International Day of Persons with Disabilities through the UPSTART initiative.
These annual awards support quality arts and disability projects throughout the county. Following assessment by an external, expert panel, eight projects have been chosen to receive this year’s awards.
The projects are based around the county – in Ballina, Ballinrobe, Belmullet, Castlebar, Claremorris and Westport. All projects/events in the UPSTART 2025 programme will come to fruition on or around December 3. The programme is strategically funded by Mayo County Council and the Arts Council of Ireland.
The details of the award-winning projects this year are as follows:
- My Special Place: Artist/facilitator Orla McConnan Bakeburg and service users from Belmullet Day Services will collaborate on a series of workshops and field trips, culminating in a slide show which will be exhibited in Áras Inis Gluaire, Belmullet on International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- Photography & Art Workshop: Artist/facilitator Michael Gannon will work with a group of service users from the Cran Mor Centre, Ballinrobe, to develop a photography project with 'Reminiscence' as its primary theme. The workshops will result in an exhibition in Westport on or around International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- Through a Different Lens: Artist/facilitator Michael Gannon will collaborate with artists from the Carrowbeg Artists Collective on a series of 12 alternative photographic practice workshops over three months hosted by the Custom House Studios, Westport, culminating in an exhibition at the Custom House Studios in early 2026
- Sensing Lannagh: Visual Artist Emma O’Donogue and Benjamin Fox from Irish Lights will work with ATU Mayo Project WAVE students with intellectual disabilities at the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, over three workshops in November this year. The group will develop skills in the use of origami, textiles and recycled items. Musical duo Irish Lights will be guest artists at one workshop, creating a soundscape to accompany the tactile art works which will be exhibited in Linenhall Arts Centre in December
- The Lens of Fairy Tales: Artist/facilitator Ruby Staunton will deliver six weeks of workshops to artists from the Luisne Art Group, Ballinrobe. The project will look at pastels as a medium for personal storytelling, interpreted through the lens of fairytales. The workshops will culminate in an exhibition at The Courtyard Gallery, National Museum of Ireland - Country Life during November and December
- Musical Emotions: Ballina Arts Centre will host Musical Emotions, a creative and inclusive music and theatre project in which artists/facilitators Stephen Doyle (drama director) and Ryan Cawley (musical director) will collaborate with members of the Scannan Day Service, Ridgepool Service, and Praxis Service. The Ballina-based groups will create a devised music/theatre performance using elements such as sound, movement and rhythm. The work will commence at the end of this month and the performance will take place at Ballina Arts Centre on December 3
- Ealaín Trí Mo Shúile (Art Through My Eyes): Members of The Hub, a group of people with disabilities based in Ballina, will work over a series of 10 workshops facilitated by artist Catherine Gannon, using collage techniques as a tool for sketchbooks, drawing, painting, textiles and memory art. The workshops will culminate in an exhibition at Ballina Arts Centre on December 3
- From Wheel to Wonder: Artist/facilitator Elzbieta Szczerbak will facilitate a series of pottery workshops to service users from Western Care Association, Claremorris, from April to June this year