Applications Now Open - Deadline 9 October at 5pm

Gap Day gives professional freelance theatre practitioners across Ireland paid time to think, dream and plan. Gap Days are available to directors, devisors/makers, writers, designers, production managers and creative producers – essentially, anyone who has a prime creative role in the making of the work. We aim to be inclusive, so if you’re not sure whether you’re eligible to apply, ask us rather than assume you aren’t!

A Gap Day enables people to take time out and dedicate a day to the creative research and thinking they haven't been able to do lately. How they spend the day is up to them: reading, writing, thinking, drawing, walking, dreaming. Whatever they don’t normally have time to do; whatever they think is needed.

Participants get

- paid for their time taking Gap Days

- a workspace at an arts centre or cultural building local to them for their Gap Days

- an informal chat over a cup of tea with the director or senior member of staff in their host organisation

- lunch on each Gap Day

- access to monthly drop-in online gatherings

- a small stipend to pay an Artist's Friend for a creative conversation

- access to a fund to help people with additional needs get the most out of their Gap Day

- access to small creative thinking gatherings in person across the country

- access to one-to-one coaching to help them make plans and put their plans in motion.

Gap Day was set up by Lian Bell and Mermaid in 2015 and to date has supported almost 200 artists This year, Michelle Cahill will take over the administration of Gap Day, and we’re aiming to support approximately 40 Gap Day artists.

For more information on the Gap Day programme, download the Gap Day FAQ document here.

How to Apply

We welcome applications from across the island, and from people of all genders, nationalities, races, cultural backgrounds, ages, religions, languages, different abilities, sexual orientations or socio-economic statuses. We want to hear from artists who are parents and carers. We particularly encourage applications from members of groups who are underrepresented in the cultural sector. We are able to support people with additional needs to get the most out of their Gap Day experience. Artists in receipt of the Basic Income are welcome to apply – Gap Day is about much more than just money!

Applications can be made via the online form here.

Please read the FAQ document before applying.

Deadline for receipt of applications is Monday 9th October 2023 at 5pm.