Starting 26th September 2025

Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at an arts centre?

Would you like to find out more about how galleries and theatres work, to decide if a career in the arts is for you?

Would you like to develop your own event at VISUAL with a group of peers?

Apply for VISUAL Collective, VISUAL’s transition year work experience programme!

In this transition year work experience programme you will get the opportunity to…

• Be brought behind the scenes at VISUAL to meet with artists, theatre makers, performers, technicians and more.
• Develop an understanding of how to pursue further education and a career in the arts, learning from people who work in the arts!
• Meet and learn from invited guest speakers in a range of workshops. You will learn how they developed their careers in the arts, gaining first-hand information relevant to real-world work experience.
• Gain experience as an artist in making your own art across a range of different approaches (visual art, performance, music, etc.).
• Work as a group to develop an event in December 2025. This event will showcase work you make throughout the programme and will give you the opportunity to become a part of our cultural programming here at VISUAL Carlow!
• Assist the team at VISUAL with our programmed events and festivals.
• Become familiar with the artworks in the current exhibitions and explore the processes involved in their making.
• Advise us about what future transition year students would want from a work experience programme, making your mark for future generations of transition year students.

How to Apply:

1. Write to us, or send a video telling us three sentences about yourself and three sentences about why you would like to join the programme.
2. Show us your creative side: Send a video, photo of your art, music, poetry, creative writing, anything that you feel shows your best creative self! You can send us more than one example of your creative work if you are skilled in more than one area. Please send any images as attachments and ensure that your video links are accessible.
3. Include your full name, school name, email address and phone number in your application.
4. Send your application to Clare Breen learning@visualcarlow.ie before midnight on 12^th September 2025.

Other Info:

• The programme will begin on Friday 26^th September and continue each Friday for 10 consecutive weeks, finishing on Friday 5^th December (no sessions take place during midterm).
• Full participation is necessary for the 10 weeks.
• Weekly sessions will last from 9.00 - 13:00 with 30-minutes for break.
• Please bring your own lunch every week and wear something you feel comfortable in.
• There are up to 15 places available on this programme for TY students. Applications are competitive so be as creative as possible inn your application to show us your creativity and your enthusiasm for the arts.
• Need help? No problem, just ask! Email learning@visualcarlow.ie