The National Museum of Ireland, Mayo County Council Art Service and Mayo Artsquad are pleased to announce the launch of an exciting artist commission for OnSight Live! 2026 - 2027.
OnSight is a long-established partnership project between the National Museum of Ireland, Mayo County Council Arts Service and Mayo Artsquad. The project commissions artists to develop new work in response to the Irish Folklife Collection which is housed and displayed at Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
Over time, OnSight has evolved across disciplines and outcomes include visual art, installation, performance and poetry. In 2026 - 2027, OnSight will focus on music.
OnSight Live! invites a professional music-based artist or composer to create original work in response to the Irish Folklife Collection and to engage in creative collaboration with a group of young musicians in the development of new compositions.
Artists are invited to develop original musical work in response to artefacts, narratives and themes within the Irish Folklife Collection.
The Collection reflects everyday life in Ireland across domestic, agricultural, social and ritual contexts.
A central element of the commission is creative collaboration with a group of young musicians (teenagers aged 13 – 18 years) with an existing background in music.
Application process
The application process is a single stage open call. The deadline for applications is Friday, 29 May 2026 at 17:00. Music-based artists or composers from outside County Mayo are welcome to apply. Applications should be submitted through Consult Portal.Detailed guidelines for applicants and application forms are available from Mayo County Council.
For further information on how to register on the Consult Portal, please contact Mayo Arts Service on +353 94 9064387 or email mayoarts@mayococo.ie.
A site visit for artists will be arranged at the National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co. Mayo on Monday, 27 April 2026. The visit will offer an opportunity to explore the galleries, view the collection stores and meet with the project partners. Attendance is advised but not essential.
To book a place on the site visit, please email Tiernan Gaffney, curator, Irish Folklife Division on tgaffney@museum.ie.
To book a place on the site visit and for further information about the commission, please contact:
Tiernan Gaffney, Curator, National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park
Email: tgaffney@museum.ie
The deadline for applications is 17:00 on Friday, 29 May 2026
OnSight is funded by the National Museum of Ireland, Mayo County Council and the Arts Council.