Consairtín, the national concertina convention, invites research project proposals from registered third-level students (undergraduate or postgraduate) in any part of Ireland to engage with concertina-related material in the Irish Traditional Music Archive (www.itma.ie) and/or local collections. The research output, in the form of a 45-minute presentation, will be delivered at Consairtín 2025 (April 24th to 27th in Ennis, Co Clare).

The successful applicant/s will receive a grant of €1,500 to carry out the research and prepare the presentation. The presentation can take the form of an illustrated lecture or performance, or a combination of both, but must be based on the research carried out in ITMA and/or with local traditional music collections. Suggested areas of research may include the following:

·       a focus on the life and music of a specific concertina player

·       the concertina tradition of a particular area or group of players

·       regional concertina styles

·       the development of concertina styles and techniques

·       the history and development of the instrument

The above is not an exhaustive list, and proposals that focus on other aspects of concertina playing are very welcome. The directors of Consairtín and ITMA staff will be available to offer advice and some mentoring to the successful applicant.  As well as the bursary fee, the successful applicant/s will be invited to spend the weekend at the festival with accommodation and meal costs covered. They will have an opportunity to participate in workshops and other activities.

Interested students should submit a written proposal of no more than 300 words, identifying the material they wish to explore and outlining the format of the presentation. Applications will be accepted from individuals or small groups (max of three) agus cuirfear fáilte roimh iarratais i nGaeilge nó go dátheangach. Applications, in the form of a Word document or PDF, should be submitted by Friday 20th December to eolas@consairtin.ie. The result of this competitive process will be announced in January.

For further information please contact Áine Hensey at 086-2612127; aine@consairtin.ie or Tim Collins at 087-2605689; tim@consairtin.ie.