2021 Dearcán Bursary.
Benchspace Cork are delighted to announce that the 2021 Dearcán Bursary has been awarded to Sara Leslie, of Mori.
Sara is an aspiring professional maker who works under the studio name of Mori. Her work combines woodcraft, furniture making, print, paint and graphic design. Sara has a Japanese upbringing and a background in zoology, both of which influence her work. You can find out more about Sara here.
The Dearcán Bursary is supported by South Cork Local Enterprise Office and Cork County Council Arts Service, in collaboration with benchspace. The award builds on the ongoing work of benchspace to provide space and equipment for professional makers and creative startups. Awardees receive a dedicated workspace for twelve months at benchspace’s open-access factory in Cork City, along with a startup budget of €10,000 towards expenses. Sara will start at benchspace in March 2021.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley extended congratulations to Sara Leslie on winning this award, saying:
“The Dearcán Bursary affords a unique opportunity for successful candidates to develop their Arts practice and business. The residency award is a result of a very successful collaboration between Cork County Council’s Arts office, South Cork Local Enterprise Office and Benchspace and is a model of best practice in supporting the Arts locally here in County Cork. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Sara Leslie on this achievement which reflects the quality and potential of her work. The bursary will give Sara the space to research, reflect and engage with her practice both creatively and commercially and will open up many doors to progress her professional career.”
About The Dearcán Bursary
Now in its second year, the Dearcán Bursary is a collaboration with, and supported by, Cork County Councils Arts Office and the Local Enterprise Office in Cork County. The Dearcán Bursary was established to provide artists, craft makers and product designers – currently resident in County Cork – with the opportunity to develop their work in all of its creative and commercial aspects. This award allows the successful candidate to take a significant step forward in their creative career, by supporting a twelve month period at the benchspace workshop in Cork City. This includes studio/workshop fees, an expenses stipend and budget towards locally sourced materials.
