Bursary Awards Scheme announced for young people

At the launch of the Joan Trimble Bursary Awards are Advisory Committee members (from left) Barbara Johnston, Caroline Gant, Liz McVey, Joanna McVey and Bronagh Cleary.

 

A new bursary scheme for young people, the Joan Trimble Bursary Awards, was launched at a special event at the Ardhowen Theatre this week.

The Joan Trimble Bursary Awards, administered by the Fermanagh Trust, were set up in 2002 in memory of the Enniskillen born musician and composer. Established by her family, the Awards recognise Joan’s lifelong commitment to County Fermanagh and their purpose is to encourage the involvement of young people in creativity, the performing arts and Irish culture.

To date the Awards have supported group-based projects in the county. In future the scheme will award bursaries to individuals. Caroline Gant, daughter of the late Joan Trimble and Chair of the Advisory Committee said “Following an overview of the Awards we are delighted to announce that in future the scheme will award bursaries to individuals up to and including 25 years of age, to support training, education and practical experience in their chosen fields.”

“We are very proud to have supported groups, schools etc in the past. However, as the cost of education gets higher and higher this seems a better direction for us to go in. Young people don’t necessarily get access and support to what they really want to do. We hope this bursary scheme will go some way towards addressing that” outlined Caroline.

Joan Trimble's elder daughter Joanna McVey, trustee of the Fermanagh Trust, spoke at the launch event of how through the encouragement of young people to participate in, be inspired by and to enjoy a rich diversity of cultural activities, her mother's vision of wider opportunity and access to the arts for new generations is being perpetuated.
 

Areas of support include: specialist education training sessions and courses; international cultural programmes; participation in master classes and summer schools. To qualify, applicants must be/have been in full time education in County Fermanagh, or at University/in Higher Education but officially resident in Fermanagh.

The launch event was scheduled prior to the Barry Douglas recital at the Ardhowen Theatre that evening. The concert was part of the Fermanagh Live Festival and has been supported by the Joan Trimble Awards with the funding of youth tickets for the event.

The Awards are administered by the Fermanagh Trust. An advisory group agrees the distribution of bursary awards, formed of 3 family members, the Director of the Fermanagh Trust and members of the Fermanagh community.  There is no minimum grant, and bursaries up to a maximum of £1,000 per academic year are available to individuals.   In exceptional circumstances, a higher award may be considered. For more information or to download an application form CLICK HERE