Artist Support | Mentoring Residency Year 1 - Em Ó Ceallaigh

09 February 2026

3 Year Mentoring Residency begins with Artist Em Ó Ceallaigh

The need for mentoring has been highlighted to Draíocht consistently by artists. As has the desire for longer Mentoring Residencies which can develop over an extended timeframe, giving an artist an anchor project which can assist them to build a sustainable career.

2026 to 2028 will see Draíocht support the practice of Em Ó Ceallaigh, a theatre-maker who practices in different but complimentary ways. They direct and develop new work for young people and adults in both traditional and non-traditional settings; they work as a dramaturg across contemporary theatre and collaborative practice; and they collaborate with artists from different disciplines to create projects that move across form. Work for children & young people as well as socially engaged practice, form the core of Em’s practice. Draíocht is uniquely positioned to support Em, through our strong commitment to work for young audiences, and socially engaged and community focused work.

The overarching aim of the Mentoring Residency is to deepen and develop Em’s artistic ambition and practice for work for young audiences, and work that has participation at its heart, through a three-year tailored and bespoke collaboration/mentorship programme.

Residency Framework : 3 distinct phases:

Year 1: HomeGround: Mentorship and exploration at home with Draíocht’s programme and regular collaborating artists.

Year 2: International Perspectives: International focus to expand Em’s thinking and ambition by exposing them to learning and collaboration outside of Ireland.

Year 3: Practice: Putting the work into practice through workshops and sharings, and an ambitious small-scale socially engaged project.

"Draíocht is delighted to support the development of Em's practice and is uniquely placed to do so. The three-year commitment is significant and is in direct response to conversations with artists who have highlighted the need for support over a longer timeframe than 12 months. This residency builds on the relationship Draíocht has developed with Em previously, including their Draíocht supported residency in CCI Paris in 2025." - Emer McGowan, Director Draíocht

"I am delighted to have a Mentoring Residency with Draíocht for the next 3 years. The idea for the residency came over coffee with Emer in Paris. As an artist who works across audiences, roles and disciplines, processes and forms, a traditional assistant role, or apprentice learning model isn’t easily available or necessarily the right approach for a theatre-maker. This residency will allow me to explore and develop my artistic practice as in its entirety. Draíocht are brilliantly placed to lead and support this. I will tap into Draíocht’s rich practice in creating ambitious, quality work for young audiences, participatory art and theatre. I will learn about Draíocht’s approach to community engagement and creating art that serves audiences deeply; meet, observe and learn from Draíocht’s community of collaborating artists across disciplines and approaches; build on and develop relationships with collaborators and partners across Europe to ensure a diverse perspective and input; and finally work closely with the team to create a meaningful and ambitious piece of participatory art that will connect deeply with communities in Dublin 15. I am extremely grateful to Emer and the Draíocht team for the opportunity and support. I am excited to see how this long-term relationship with the team and artists at Draíocht will impact my practice and how I can share that learning with local, national and international artists and audiences." - Em Ó Ceallaigh, Artist

Artist Biography - Em Ó Ceallaigh

I’m a theatre-maker, working as a director, dramaturg, facilitator, writer and devisor. My work often focuses on children and young people, audience or community and can be participatory in nature. Play and integrity are at the heart of this. I’m interested in exploring shame and the stories we tell about ourselves and others. I often create work multilingually through Irish and in collaboration with other artists who speak languages I don’t.

I am a Branar Meitheal participant 2025-26, a dynamic support programme for artists and producers creating work for young audiences. I was the Engagement Director (2019-22), and then Artistic Director (2022-23) of Super Paua, a company founded by Sian Ní Mhuirí, that made art for young people, and delivered bespoke artist support. I was awarded Draíocht’s CCI Residency award 2024/25, and spent a month in Paris in July 2025.

Work includes: Director & story for Síomha and the Otherworld, written by Sian Ní Mhuirí, supported by the Arts Council’s Project Award 2024: Riverbank Arts Centre, dlr Mill Theatre, and axis: Ballymun (May-June 2025); associate director for Future Stories project, an 18 month theatre/film development programme for care-experienced young people in Ireland founded by Oonagh Murphy, and a director / script editor on the film they created, produced by Cracking Light Productions: Smock Alley, First Fortnight Festival 2026 (2024-26); stiúrthóir ag obair ar dhráma úr aiteach, An Chos Eile le Sean Mac Dhonnagáin: axis: Ballymun (2023), léiriú idir lámha ag Oireachtas na Samhna (2024); curator as a part of Schöne Aussicht 2024, an international performing arts festival for young people; director, dramaturg and producer on Super Paua Stories, a multilingual podcast for young people (2019-2023); drama facilitator and script editor for Echo’s Bones, a collaborative film-making project led by Sarah Browne with autistic young people in North Dublin (2022).

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Artist Biography - Em Ó Ceallaigh

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