The long-established London-based Clore Leadership Programme aims to develop the knowledge, skills and experience of potential leaders in the arts, across a wide range of cultural activity. As part of the programme Fellows participate in a number of activities including: intensive residential leadership courses; professional development through mentoring, tuition and group learning; an in-depth research project, supervised by a Higher Education Institute; and a period of secondment, with experience of managing a challenging project. 

This year two Irish artists have been awarded this prestigious placement and have been welcomed to the 19th cohort of Clore Fellows. The Arts Council is immensely proud to support these dynamic change-makers, artist, curator and producer Alan James Burns and independent theatre and performance maker Louise White.

Alan James Burns: Awarded the Arts Council Ireland Fellowship supported by the Arts Council

Alan is an artist, curator and producer creating interactive, socially engaged and site-specific projects reflecting on subjects of disability, well-being and the climate emergency. These highly collaborative projects include ‘Augmented Body, Altered Mind’ 2022, ‘The Waking Walls | Caoineadh Dúlra’ 2023 and ‘Entirely hollow aside from the dark’ 2016-2019.  

Burns is co-directing and co-producing ‘Disrupt Disability Arts Festival’ launching online and across Dublin in March 2024. His projects have been funded by the Arts Council, Arts and Disability Ireland, Arts Council England, European Commission, Cavan Arts, Fingal Arts, Culture Ireland and Creative Ireland.  

Louise White: awarded the Jerome Hynes Fellowship supported by Arts Council Ireland

Louise is an independent theatre and performance maker celebrating 15 years’ practice. Her work asks questions about community and the contemporary moment. Recent work includes Animals; a large-scale work based on Orwell’s Animal Farm (Dublin Theatre Festival), and Sing Your Failures; a participatory performance about failure (Cork Midsummer Festival). 

Her projects are always interdisciplinary and collaborative. She has worked with a diverse array of performers including dancers, opera singers, visual artists, chefs, composers, actors, children and older people. Louise is also a facilitator and educator and leads creative engagements with communities and groups in a variety of contexts. 

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