Big Look

Eligibility:

You are eligible for this scheme if you are resident in Waterford city and County Council's administrative area and are interested in developing an existing painting or drawing practice through a structured group mentoring programme online.

This scheme is funded by the Arts Office, Waterford City and County Council.

A maximum of 6 applicants (mentees) will be selected to join the cohort through a competitive application and selection process.

The deadline for applications will be 23:59 on 31st August with selected mentees announced thereafter. The mentoring scheme will then run from September - November 2026 (see below for more details on the format and participation requirements).

Application process:

• Applicants must fill out the online form - see link below
• No hard copy applications will be accepted
• The online submission process is a live process and you will not be able to save progress. Applications must be completed in a single session. Therefore, please have the following answers prepared before you fill out the application form: 
  • How this course will advance your practice (max 200 words)
  • External influences that inform your art practice  
  • How you see your art practice developing in the next 5 years (max 200 words)
  • 3-5 examples of your own work not to exceed 10 MB per image
  • Current artist CV with list of artistic achievements to date

If you have any questions about the scheme that are not answered on this page, you will have the opportunity to add these to your application. We will do our best to respond to these questions in advance of the selection process.

Selection process:

Mentees will be shortlisted by the course provider Big Look course administrator and Artform programme director on the basis of:

• The quality of information provided in the application form
• Clarity in how the programme will help the applicant advance their existing practice
• Ambition for developing artistically in the future
• Suitability to benefit from all 3 modules
• Availability to full participate in the course and assignments
• Priority will be given to new eligible applicants
  
  

The mentors delivering the modules will the choose 6 successful candidates from the shortlist through consensus and successful applicants will be notified.

Funding

Funding provided under this scheme will provide for subsidised participation in the curriculum. Instead of the full price of €515, participants will only be required to pay a support fee of €85, thereby lowering substantially the entry point for participation.

The funding made available by Waterford City and County Council will be administered by Big Look in partnership with mentors in the provision of modules. Hence, it is very important that successful applicants participate fully in the scheme.

Format and participation requirements

The programme will be split into distinct modules delivered by a different mentors as follows: 

• Gabhann Dunne
• Maurice Quillinan
• Guest contributors

The modules will run in parallel streams over the course of September - November.  

In order to be able to benefit from the programme, you should have the ability to dedicate up to 10 hours per week to the programme for project and assignment work. This includes a commitment to attend a 90-minute live session every week with the entire group.

Terms & Conditions

• You must be over 18 years old on the date of application to apply for this funding
• You must be resident for two or more years in Waterford city and County Council administrative area to avail of this scheme
• Deadline for receipt of applications is 23:59 on 31st August 2026
• Canvasing of applicants to mentors/organisers of this scheme will result in disqualification
• Scheme will be for online mentoring only
• Funding provided under this scheme to be administered by Big Look in the provision of mentoring hours and is non-transferrable
• The time commitment for each mentee will be  10 hours per week and includes video calls, assignments on-site sessions hosted by Artform School of Art
• Successful applicants must have access to a laptop, desktop computer or tablet with a fast internet connection
• Candidates are completely responsible for ensuring that the device being used is in full working order
• Online mentoring will be conducted using Big Look online mentoring tools and Zoom or a similar video call solution 
• Each successful applicant will be assigned a free Big Look account 
• Big Look accounts created in this way are  subject to the terms and privacy policy of Big Look and can be cancelled if desired at the end of the mentoring programme
• Owing to GDPR considerations, your consent to this scheme, will allow for sharing of your contact details with the mentors and the Arts Office in relation solely to this scheme
• Mentees will be required to fulfil any assigned work arising from the engagement with mentors over the period of the programme
• Mentees will be required attend direct video calls or on-location sessions weekly. Video calls may be recorded or facilitated by Big Look
• A pattern of non-attendance in agreed calls or failure to fulfill assignments, may result in balance of award being transferred to another shortlisted artist
• Mentoring applications must be within the disciplines of painting and/or drawing only.
• The decision of the selection panel of mentors will be final, no correspondence will be entered into regarding decisions.
• Logistics in relation to participation will be communicated in a letter of offer
• We reserve the right not to make an award at the discretion of the selection panel