Functions at the moment are open for Tales of Two Cities, a global artist growth program designed to help early profession artists within the Washington, DC space by providing a totally funded skilled change alternative in Cork, Eire.
Tales of Two Cities is a partnership amongst Solas Nua in Washington, DC and Cork Midsummer Pageant and The Everyman in Cork, Eire, and is funded by The Arts Council of Eire’s Worldwide Residency Initiatives Scheme. The scheme helps arts organizations, throughout all artforms, within the supply of residency initiatives and to create alternatives for transnational change and cooperation.
This artist change program provides rising theater artists the chance to increase their inventive apply by means of worldwide publicity, mentorship, and collaboration. Every participant can be paired with an Irish mentor. Members may be people or a bunch.
Chosen artists will journey to Cork, Eire in June 2026 to attend the Cork Midsummer Pageant the place they are going to attend theater productions, meet native and worldwide artists, and develop their skilled networks. After the weeklong worldwide residency, artists will return to DC and take part in analysis and growth classes, workshops, and mentoring from July to September.
The change additionally provides Cork-based artists the chance to go to Washington, DC within the fall of 2026, culminating in a ultimate session in November to share insights, concepts, and future plans.
“Touring overseas to see worldwide work broadened my creative creativeness and adjusted my profession,” mentioned Rex Daugherty, Solas Nua’s Inventive Director of Theatre. “I’ve been desperate to share that have with extra DMV artists, notably after so many growth applications have been minimize or cancelled. Throughout a time of disappearing alternatives and elevated obstacles for rising artists, this program opens doorways and fosters inventive progress at a important time in an artist’s profession.”
Lorraine Maye, Director of Cork Midsummer Pageant, shared, “The Worldwide Residency Initiative Scheme from The Arts Council is a visionary alternative for Irish and worldwide artists. It’s rooted within the necessity and richness of reciprocity, connection and creative innovation. Alongside our longtime buddies and collaborators The Everyman, it’s so thrilling to be working with the good Solas Nua for the 2026 iteration of Tales of Two Cities. Washington, DC artists – we will’t wait to fulfill you and welcome you to Cork!”
“We’re extremely proud to proceed to collaborate on this initiative,” mentioned Des Kennedy, Inventive Director of The Everyman. “A few of my earliest directing credit had been for Solas Nua in Washington DC, so I do know firsthand how transformative worldwide artist exchanges like this may be. Cork, like DC, is a creatively formidable and politically engaged metropolis with among the most devoted and passionate artists. Now greater than ever, we want mutual understanding, cultural change, and worldwide connection, so Tales of Two Cities is an important and well timed program.”
Members will obtain full monetary help for flights to and lodging in Cork, Eire for this system dates. Artists can even obtain a payment to cowl their time for journey, workshops, mentorship, growth classes, and different bills.
Tales of Two Cities is an thrilling alternative for rising theater artists to see new works, deepen their apply, and construct significant worldwide connections that can form the way forward for their artwork.
Eligibility Standards
Candidates should:
- Be a theater artist based mostly within the Washington, DC space (DMV) or in Cork, Eire. Designers and different inventive crew members are particularly inspired to use
- Have not more than 10 years skilled expertise
- Be over 21 and never at the moment enrolled in undergraduate or postgraduate training
- Be accessible for all key program dates
- Display curiosity, initiative, and an openness to collaborate
- Maintain a legitimate passport
Key Dates:
- April 23: Utility deadline
- April 30: Notification
- Could: Program begins: key conferences with different artists and Cork Midsummer Pageant / Everyman groups; artists assigned a mentor
- June: Preliminary assembly with mentor to ascertain objectives and outcomes, together with setting the path for Analysis & Improvement days
- June 17-22: Journey to Cork Midsummer Pageant to see work, meet native and worldwide artists, and join/change with friends
- July – September: Analysis & Improvement (time to suppose, analysis, work to place concepts collectively) facilitated by Solas Nua together with mentorship classes & growth time
- Autumn 2026: Cork artists to go to Washington, DC to fulfill native artists, see work, and join
- November: Last assembly, bringing collectively all the members for a ultimate sharing of ideas, concepts and subsequent steps
How you can Apply:
Candidates should full the on-line software kind.
Deadline: Friday, April 23, 2026
Please contact manufacturing@solasnua.org with any software questions.
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Solas Nua — which means “new mild” in Irish — was based in 2005 to deliver the very best of up to date Irish arts to Washington, DC. With 100+ nominations and a number of awards, Solas Nua has introduced the work of over 1,000 Irish artists throughout theater, literature, poetry, music, visible arts, and dance.
Cork Midsummer Pageant is one in every of Eire’s main worldwide arts festivals, distinctive in its use of the town as a stage and within the extraordinary inventive collaborations that join artwork and audiences, artists and communities, Cork and the world.
The Everyman, a 650-seat Victorian theater, has been Cork’s cultural residence for 125 years. Its mission is to supply the very best in Irish and worldwide efficiency for Cork and Irish audiences. The Everyman goals to be indispensable to all the communities it serves: audiences, artists, workers and suppliers, whereas remaining rooted in, and inextricably linked to, Cork.
