Bursary Winners 2021
Our Arts and Education bursary programme has been able to continue thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and dedicated panellists. We received applications from some amazing candidates and it gives us enormous pleasure to announce our 2021 winners.
The Education Bursary
This has been awarded to Doireann Gillan, a multi-media artist whose practice is concerned with the body and the discourse around the position of women in contemporary society. It touches on gender, sexuality and identity, finding expression predominantly in sculptural forms and more recently, it has expanded to include a film and performative lens.
“For a number of years, I have been keen to do a masters in fine art to take my practice to the next level. Without the support of the Women’s Irish Network, I would have struggled to make this happen.
Winning the bursary has been incredible. It enables my immersion in a masters programme at the Royal College of Art, London, which is regarded as an exceptional environment in which to develop the intellectual rigour, skills, and network needed to develop one’s practice. I’m very excited and grateful to the Women’s Irish Network for making this possible.”
This year’s Education panel was led by WIN Committee member Tara Cronin alongside our WIN friend Jim O’Hara, who recently became a recipient of the 2021 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad, for his charitable work here in the UK.
The Bursary
This has been awarded to Deirdre Finnerty, an award-winning BBC journalist specialising in international news with a keen interest in under-reported stories for a female audience.
Her work has been recognised by the British Journalism Awards, the Society of Authors, the Amnesty Media Awards, the One World Media Awards and has attracted millions of views worldwide.
Currently Deirdre is on a career break in order to complete her first narrative non-fiction book 'The Bessborough Girls' which charts the experiences of three women who spent time in Bessborough House between the 1960s and 1980s. The book is due to be published in early 2022.
“The book is a moving account of the experiences of Irish women and the long-term impact of mother and baby institutions on their lives. Told with compassion and rigour, ‘The Bessborough Girls’ is a stark portrait of a brutal system and the families it split apart.
This bursary will help me to launch a career as a writer dedicated to equality and social justice. In the future, I envision myself writing other books and mentoring other young journalists to do the same.
The support of the bursary sends a powerful message that WIN backs the stories that really need to be told.”
The Arts panel was once again steered by WIN Committee member Cliodhna Judge and Bridget Kalloushi, Executive Director of the Omnibus Theatre.
