The 2027 Competition is Now Open
Thomas Dammann Application Eligibility & Conditions
The purpose of the competition is to assist (a) students registered at Irish (including Northern Irish) third level educational institutions, and (b) practitioners of the visual arts and design. The financial assistance is provided so that the applicant can complete a clearly defined project in the visual or applied arts, craft, design, architecture or the history of art, architecture and design. The Trustees use assessment criteria including whether the project is interesting, novel or important and/or will contribute significantly to the applicant's intellectual and personal development. Applicants must describe specific anticipated outcomes of the project.
The Trust will not fund the costs of: equipment, honoraria, income support, internships or work placements, materials, professional services, registration fees for conferences, workshops or other events, studio rental.
The closing date for applications is Monday 1st February 2027 at 6 pm GMT. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of April 2027. If applicants have not heard from the Trust, they must assume that they were unsuccessful. Payments will be sent to the winning applicants by or before June 2027.
The decision of the Trustees is final and no correspondence/phone calls etc. shall be entered into.
Conditions
- The Trustees may at their discretion make one or more award in every year.
- Applicants must be either students or practitioners of the visual arts. Student applicants must be registered at an Irish (Northern or Southern) third level institution. Students registered at third level institutions outside Ireland, even if formerly registered at Irish universities are NOT eligible to apply. Practitioners of the visual arts do NOT have to be based in Ireland.
- Applications must be made exclusively by website application form. Each applicant may make only one application for each competition.
- The Trustees will not generally entertain group applications.
- The Trustees accept applications from those who applied to the Trust in previous years.
- Applications will not be accepted after 6 pm GMT on Monday 1st February 2027. Referees must return the webform before the closing date of Wednesday 10th February 2027. It is the duty of the applicant to ensure that the referee provides the reference before 6 pm GMT on Wednesday 10th February 2027.
- It is up to the applicant to obtain prior permission from their referee to nominate them as the applicant's referee and to include the referee’s authorised email address in the application. The applicant must provide the referee with full details of the application including details of the closing date for applications and references.
- On receipt of the applicant's completed application, an automatically generated email containing a webform link is sent to the authorised work email address of the referee. This email asks the referee to submit a reference for the applicant. The referee does so by completing and submitting a webform reference on or before Wednesday 10th February 2027, well before the closing time of 6 pm. It is the applicant’s responsibility to liaise with the referee and ensure that the reference is received by the Trust before 6 pm GMT on Wednesday 10th February 2027. The applicant should therefore check with their referee that the referee has received the automatically generated email from the Trust requesting a reference and ensuring that the referee has replied well before 6 pm GMT on Wednesday 10th February 2027. Practically speaking this involves drawing the referee's attention to the conditions 6-8 here.
- As indicated on the application form, applicants must include a precise and fully costed budget stating: (a) the total costs of the project in euro; (b) the amount being sought from the Trust and (c) where relevant, full details of applications made elsewhere for financial support for the project. The Trustees will not consider applications for funding for equipment, honoraria, income support, internships or work placements, materials, professional services, registration fees for conferences, workshops or other events, studio rental.
- The maximum that may be applied for is fixed at €5,000. The Trustees may at their discretion consider funding either projects in their entirety costing up to €5,000 or partly funding projects costing more. Where the project costs are in excess of €5,000, applicants must state to which body or person they have made formal application for the additional funds.
- Co-funding is encouraged. Candidates who may or will secure additional funding from a source other than the Trust must specify in their application to the Trust the source, amount and purpose of such extra funding. For example, if a student candidate is eligible to apply for a travel grant from their institution and has or will apply for this, the source, amount and purpose of the proposed grant must be specifically mentioned in the candidate's application to the Trust. The Trust cannot assist in obtaining additional funds.
- The Trust will endeavour to notify successful applicants by the end of April 2027.
- Each successful applicant must submit a 400 word report on the project carried out on or before 2nd October 2027. Reports must be submitted to: art@thomasdammanntrust.ie. The report will define what the applicant considers to be the benefits the applicant has gained from completing the project, the project’s contribution to knowledge or state of the art, the research findings and, where relevant, where the research is to be published/exhibited, or otherwise communicated or taken further (eg. online). For example, where the project entails the production of paintings, photographs, videos or designs, the report will describe the project’s process, the benefits the applicant has gained from completing the project, the project’s contribution to the state of the art, where the project is to be published/exhibited or otherwise communicated or taken further (eg. online) and particulars of any reviews, comments etc. In all cases, full acknowledgement of the Trust's contribution is required where the work is catalogued, exhibited, published or otherwise brought before the public.
- If it becomes impossible to undertake the project within the stated time, the award money must be returned to the Trust and a new application submitted in the following year.
- Canvassing by or on behalf of an applicant will disqualify the applicant.
- The award must not, under any circumstances, be used for anything other than the purpose for which it has been given.