We are pleased to announce the 8 Mentor and 8 Mentee recipients of the 2025 Digital Arts Mentorship Scheme.
THE DIGITAL ARTS MENTORSHIP SCHEME was born out of the Arts Council’s Digital Arts Policy 2023-2025. The policy highlights the urgent need to develop capacity both across the broader arts sector and within the Arts Council to support artists working in digital art in Ireland today.
The Scheme aims to support individual digital artists to develop and extend their practice through the process of mentoring with an experienced digital artist or other professional with expertise in digital arts.
This years recipients are:
www.carriestudios.com
www.sparrowstudios.com
Orla will support Ann in developing non-coding immersive workflows, advancing technical skills in Unreal Engine/XR, and support in the building of professional and creative networks to present work to a wider audience both nationally and internationally.
www.muotto.com
www.thenodeinstitute.org
Exploring Afrofuturist storytelling and mobility through real-time visual systems, Chinedum and Stefan will work on building coherent TouchDesigner pipelines, staging strategies, and community-facing prototypes aligned with the STARTS EU Residency in Congo. Drawing from Chinedum’s strong conceptual foundation, the mentorship will explore ways to expand performance and material-based practice into immersive, interactive media arts, subtly integrating creative coding and new technologies to spark unforeseen possibilities
www.instagram.com/mother_woolf
www.bassamissa.xyz
This mentorship will cover the use of CGI software to create imaginative and evocative digital environments to explore themes of gender and embodiment.
www.instagram.com/jo_mangan_
www.fionnualaconway.com
Professor Fionnuala Conway will work with Jo Mangan to advance Jo’s project “Quarantined” into a fully coherent VR artwork ready for presentation, while also developing effective workflows for prototyping, audience engagement and evaluation, and strengthening confidence and independence in XR development.
Drawing upon Conan’s experience as a Video Artist & Designer this mentorship will focus on enhancing the visual aspect of Joey’s installation pieces while optimizing workflow. The support will include structured training in video programming environments, while fostering artistic voice and career sustainability.
Through this mentorship Liam will be supported to develop “Awareness”, a multimedia show about the child of an influencer, and observe Dead Centre’s rehearsals for To Be A Machine Version 2.0 as it goes on tour to the Science & Theatre Festival in Heilbronn, Germany.
www.melgalley.co.uk
www.nadiajarmstrong.com
This mentorship will allow deeper reflection on Mel’s practice as a digital maker and to develop understanding of digital making processes as conceptual engagements with technology, with Nadia acting as an amazing sounding board and an encouraging, critical perspective on Mel’s work and thinking. Through regular, open conversations with Nadia, the mentorship will support Mel’s aim of building a practice that moves between arts, academic and public spaces, allowing Mel to share work which questions the assumptions of what digital art is with a considered and critical lens.
www.yulon.ie
www.bold.ie
This mentorship will provide guidance on how to take Scott’s digital art practice to the next level, beyond just making work, but by learning how to position it internationally, build sustainable visibility, and refine the way projects are communicated and supported.
If you have any questions on the Digital Arts Mentorship Scheme please contact barbaradeignan@furthr.ie
[1] Parts of these guidelines have been distilled from a document drawn up by ADI and Fire Station Artists’ Studios using resources drawn from Connect Mentoring Programme which was funded by the Arts Council and delivered by Create and Common Ground in 2009-10.