Established in 2009, the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s Future Makers Award is one of Europe’s most extensive prize-funded award programmes. It showcases talent and provides much-needed financial support.
Divided into student and emerging practitioner categories, the awards support these crucial times.
The award categories include the following: sustainable design, studio equipping, residencies/training, and exhibiting/trade events.
There is also a mentoring package included in the award.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
Currently, three awards are open to makers in Ireland: the RDS Craft Awards, the Leitrim Design House Awards, and the Design and Craft Council of Ireland’s Future Makers Awards. Two awards are open to those not enrolled in education or recent graduates.
The RDS Craft Awards
Applications will open for the RDS Craft Awards on the 5th of May, 2025. It is a competition open to all craft makers living on the island of Ireland and Irish-born craft makers working overseas. The work of emerging and established makers is judged separately, with specific prizes to support emerging craftspeople. The Awards will be made from a total prize fund of €60,000.
The Emerging Maker category is open to individuals who aren’t necessarily recent graduates, and there is no age limit. Instead, there are these requirements:
Focus on heritage, skills, and sustainable practices.
Practice commenced within the past 10 years, with the determination to grow their craft at home and abroad.
Work must be made and sourced in Ireland.
The deadline for applying is the 23rd of June. There is no fee to enter.
The Leitrim Design House – National Design, Craft & Art Awards
To mark 25 years of supporting creative Irish businesses, The Leitrim Design House has launched the National Design, Craft & Art Awards to celebrate excellence in craftsmanship. The award stems from the organisation’s resilience and sustainability as a business over the past two decades.
As a reflection of this longevity, The Leitrim Design House invites makers, artists, and designers from across the country to respond to the theme ofReused Sustainability.
The overall winner will receive €2,500 and a solo exhibition at The Leitrim Design House in 2026. A Special Commendation Prize of €1,000 will also be awarded to a runner-up.
Deadline for submission of applications: Friday, the 27th of June, 2025.
DCCI invites students and emerging makers* to apply for this opportunity to showcase their talent. Future Makers is a DCCI initiative that recognises the talent, potential, and creativity of designers and makers shaping the future. Why apply? ▪️ Win up to €3,500 to financially support your career ▪️Gain recognition for your talent, potential, and creativity ▪️Each winner will receive a mentoring package valued at €2,000
The deadline is the 20th of June.
* Emerging Makers – Currently in post-graduate studies in a craft or design discipline or graduated from full-time study between 2-6 years ago at the date of entry to Future Makers, and/or have established a craft or design enterprise in the past 6 years.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Established in 2009, the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s Future Makers Award is one of Europe’s most extensive prize-funded award programmes. It showcases talent and provides much-needed financial support.
Divided into student and emerging practitioner categories, the award supports this crucial time.
Win up to €3,500 to financially support your career.
Qualify for the annual RDS Craft Awards and a chance to win one of 5 awards of €10,000 each to support your future growth.
Achieve recognition for your talent, potential and creativity.
The categories of awards include the following: sustainable design, studio equipping, residencies/training, and exhibiting/trade events.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Future Makers is a Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) initiative which recognises talent, potential and creativity. It aims to support the next generation of makers, designers and craftspeople to take the step from training into an enterprise. Divided into student and emerging practitioner categories and covering a wide range of disciplines, it is one of the largest prize-funded award programmes in Europe.
Note: Future Makers is the qualifying competition for the annual RDS Craft Awards, which provides 5 x €10,000 awards to makers at a formative stage in their careers. These five significant awards are for developing business and craft skills for those pursuing a professional career in the sector.
Future Makers is a Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) initiative recognising talent, potential and creativity. It aims to support the next generation of makers, designers and craftspeople to take the step from training into enterprise. Divided into student and emerging practitioner categories and covering a wide range of disciplines, it is one of the largest prize-funded award programmes in Europe.
Emerging maker category criteria:
Currently in post-graduate studies in a craft or design discipline or graduated from full-time study between 2-6 years ago at the date of entry to Future Makers. And/or have established a craft or design enterprise in the past 6 years. Proof of education history, self-employed status or company incorporation will need to be supplied.
Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s Future Makers Awards is the qualifying competition for the RDS Craft Awards. RDS Craft Awards offers five x €10,000 bursaries for emerging Irish craft makers. To be eligible to apply for the RDS Craft Awards, emerging makers must have received a Future Makers Award in the preceding year.
For more information, please visit the RDS website
We are delighted to say that applications for Future Makers 2022 opened last week. With a total prize-fund of €25,000 and 26 awards and supports available, Future Makers is one of Europe’s largest prize-funded awards programmes.
As we look ahead to the 2022 programme, we are reminded of the opportunities that Future Makers presents.
Not only do the winners receive substantial funds and promotional opportunities, but they also qualify for the annual RDS Craft Awards competition, which awards five makers with €10,000 each.
We were delighted that the following Future Makers 2021 winners received an RDS Craft Award recently:
Katharina Treml – Ceramics (Overall Winner in the Student Category)
This really brings home how impactful the Future Makers programme is and how it helps to elevate the careers of so many. It’s also critical that we as a community support programmes such as this, so that we continue to have a healthy pipeline of makers in Ireland.
To that end, we would kindly ask you to help us spread the word, that applications are now open, by liking and sharing our social media posts, or by sharing the details of the programme with your network.
If you are a student or emerging maker why not apply to this prestigious programme? You can enter for free at futuremakers.ie. and the closing date for applications is Friday 29th July 2022.
