The talents of Dublin City University students were recognised at a special event on DCU’s St Patrick’s Campus recently when ten students were awarded with an arts bursary to help them pursue excellence in their chosen fields of music, photography, videography and visual arts. The bursaries were awarded by DCU’s Office of Student Life, with support from DCU Educational Trust.
The Arts Bursary was established by DCU in 2009 to promote excellence in artistic and cultural activities and to encourage students to excel in their craft. Bursaries are awarded following a competitive application and interview process through which students outline their achievements, hopes for the future and how the bursary will help to achieve their goals.
Speaking at the event, Professor Daire Keogh, Deputy President of DCU commented,
“This gathering celebrates the creative ability of the DCU student body and these awards recognise the talent which flourishes in the lives of our bursary recipients. We hope the bursaries will enable the students to grow, not only to become the artists they were intended to be, but that they will bring this creative energy to their varied careers.”
Following a presentation of certificates by Larry Quinn, Chair of DCU Educational Trust, attendees were treated to musical performances by awardees including Ciara Casey, a second year student studying for a Bachelor of Education, who played a selection of traditional tunes on the concert flute, and to a song by twin sisters Katie and Bryony Archer who are both studying Multimedia at DCU.
Bursary recipient Ciara Casey described what the support means to her stating, “It can be hard to juggle funding my studies and music at the same time. I’ve had the same concert flute since I started playing and I really need to upgrade to a better one but with the cost of rent in Dublin, investing in instruments can sometimes go on the back burner. This bursary relieves a lot of pressure and will enable me to finally get my new instrument.”
Mary Shine Thompson, a member of DCU Educational Trust’s Council of Trustees also spoke on behalf of the judging panel and reminded students that,
“These bursaries are given on the condition that the selected students give something back to the DCU community in return for its faith in them. The students gathered here today have committed to share their talents with their colleagues. In this regard, they are the philanthropists of the future, who understand the need to share the fruits of their talents with those less endowed.”
Ms Shine Thompson concluded by providing some sage advice and words of inspiration for the bursary recipients stating, “Séamus Heaney, a most loyal friend of DCU, once said when talking about carrying water home from the well that two buckets are easier to carry than one. When it comes to the two buckets you carry, your passion for your studies and your art form, this will help to provide balance in your life.”
