Council invites Artist in the Community Proposals for St Patrick’s Day 2026

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is inviting applications from experienced artists to deliver a community engaged creative project as part of the 2026 St Patrick’s Day Festivals in Enniskillen and Omagh.

The Artist in the Community project is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland through the Artist in Residence Programme, with match funding provided by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. The project will embed high quality participatory arts activity within two of the district’s largest annual cultural celebrations.

With anticipated attendances of approximately 30,000 people in Enniskillen and 12,000 in Omagh, the project offers a significant opportunity to strengthen the artistic identity of both festivals through imaginative, inclusive and collaborative creative work.

The appointed artist will work closely with community groups, volunteers, festival committees and the Council teams to design and deliver participatory workshops and creative sessions. Activity may include visual arts, carnival and outdoor arts, performance, costume or multidisciplinary practice.

The project will focus on engaging a wide range of participants, including children and young people, older people, individuals and groups with additional support needs and community organisations across Enniskillen, Omagh and surrounding rural areas. Creative outputs will be presented publicly as part of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, showcasing local creativity and encouraging pride, participation and belonging.

Commenting on the opportunity, Cllr Barry McElduff, Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council said:

“The St Patrick’s Day Festivals in Enniskillen and Omagh are significant cultural events in our District, bringing together communities, visitors and local organisations to celebrate creativity, culture and place.

This Artist in the Community project represents an exciting opportunity to further strengthen the artistic quality of both festivals while creating meaningful opportunities for people of all ages to participate in creative activity.

By working directly with community groups and festival committees, the appointed artist will help ensure that local voices, ideas and creativity are at the heart of our St Patrick’s Day celebrations in 2026.”

Javier Stanziola, Director of Strategic Development and Partnership at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“Arts Council of Northern Ireland is pleased to support the Artist in Residence Programme. We welcome this opportunity to work in partnership with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to support high-quality, participatory arts activity that places artists and communities at the centre of cultural celebration.  It is the Arts Council’s strategic goal to increase access to the arts for all, and with collaboration from local government, we can make more engagement opportunities happen for everyone, improving mental health and wellbeing for everybody.”

Online project proposals are now open and can be submitted via the Council’s website at www.fermanaghomagh.com by visiting the Arts, Culture & Heritage webpage.

Closing date for project proposals: 12 noon on Monday 09 February 2026