Ted & Mary O'Regan Bursary celebrates 20 years
Dance artist, Rachel Ni Bhronain receiving her Bursary Award from Philip O'Regan. Photo: Maurice Hennebry
The 2024 Ted & Mary O’Regan Arts Bursaries were presented in Garter Lane recently at a ceremony celebrating the 20th anniversary of the awards.
In mid-2003 and early 2004 Waterford lost an inspiring and gentle couple - Ted and Mary O'Regan. Ted was the person to the forefront of many innovative and creative actions over the years and Mary was his inspiration and confidante.
After their deaths a group of people from the arts in Waterford came together to launch an arts bursary in tribute to Ted and Mary. It aims to be an opportunity for a Waterford person to develop his or her creative talent.
Founded by a group of friends and colleagues in the aftermath of their untimely deaths, the bursary was created to honour Ted and Mary O’Regan’s invaluable contribution to the artistic and cultural life of Waterford.
Among the organisations who contribute to the bursary are Waterford City and County Council, Garter Lane Arts Centre, Spraoi, Theatre Royal and Waterford Youth Arts.
With their support, the Bursary Committee has disbursed more than €130,000 to some 70 arts practitioners, a selection of whom presented a series of readings, performances, recitals and visual art at this week’s celebration.
Adjudicated by external assessor, Robert Browne, the 2024 Bursary Awards, each for €2,000, were presented to dance artists, Holly Hughes and Rachel Ní Bhraonáin, and to emerging local playwright, Hannah Carberry.
Hannah’s award will assist with the production of her new play, Grasp, which is due to open at the Gallery of Modern Art Gardens.
Holly’s award will assist with college fees for a year-long course at the Millennium Performing Arts School in London. She commented that she “started dancing at the age of three and has been dancing ever since”.
The final award will assist with the production of Rachel Ní Bhraonáin’s two person dance, aerial and theatre show, Losing Your Body, at Garter Lane in September.
First presented to popular and critical acclaim at the Dublin Fringe Festival back in 2019, Rachel’s show was due to undertake a national tour, which would include performances in her native Waterford.
As with so much else, the Covid pandemic hated those plans, but she is now delighted to say that the award of this bursary will assist with the production of Losing Your Body in Garter Lane this coming September.
