TED AND MARY O'REGAN ARTS BURSARY |
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2011 BURSARIES AWARDED |
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The winners of the 2011 Ted & Mary O'Regan Arts Bursaries were announced by His Worship the Mayor, Councillor Pat Hayes, at a reception in City Hall on 7th September 2011. The Chairman of the awards committee, Bertie Rogers, thanked the Mayor and also all those who support the Bursary. He outlined that the awards are now in its seventh year and that over €40,000 has been given out to local artists to support their development. Jo Moylan, the Patron of the awards (who took over the role from the late Anna Manahan), informed the gathering that Michael Quinlan, who received an award last year from the Waterford Variety Theatre Club, is now performing in a West End show and has created quite an impression in his role. She went on to say that everyone can remember the work that Teddy O'Regan did for the arts and especially the youth of Waterford, and she urged all to support this bursary and to keep their memories alive. |
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The Award Scheme, designed to assist local artists or artists with local connections to pursue and advance their careers in the arts, is the brainchild of a group of friends and colleagues of the late Ted and Mary O'Regan. The Awards honour the couple's invaluable contribution to the artistic and cultural life of Waterford and are financed by local arts organisations and statutory bodies as well as by the O' Regan family and by friends and admirers of the much loved couple. Among the organisations who have contributed to the bursary are Waterford Youth Committee, Waterford City Council, Waterford County Council, Waterford City Enterprise Board, Red Kettle, Garter Lane Arts Centre, Spraoi, Theatre Royal and Waterford Youth Arts. Applications for the Bursaries are assessed by an independent adjudicator, Victor Merriman, a friend of the O'Regan family and currently lecturing in Drama Studies at the University of Liverpool. |
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Reflecting the wide range of artistic activity in Waterford city and county, a total of 27 applications were received for this year's awards. The Ted & Mary O'Regan Bursary for €4,000 went to ballet dancer, Aisling Kennedy, and will assist her to take up a place at the prestigious Central School of Ballet in London. Writer, Derek Flynn, has been offered a subsidiary award of €1,000 towards the cost of a Masters in Creative Writing at UCD. |
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Additional awards of €1,000 each were presented to ceramicist, Jane Jermyn, courtesy of Waterford City Enterprise Board and to dance student, Elaine Stone, courtesy of the Waterford Variety Theatre Club. |
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