Strollers Network is delighted to announce Luke Casserly as the recipient of the PROPEL Programme Award 2026

Following a competitive open call process, Luke Casserly was chosen as the recipient of Strollers' PROPEL Award.

PROPEL is a three year-long artist development and mentorship programme designed and produced by the Strollers Network, a partnership of ten arts centres from across Ireland. The aim of the programme is to strengthen the ecology of the Irish theatre sector by supporting the development of new work by independent artists and to support the sustainable development of artistic practice through a structured mentorship and training programme designed and delivered in consultation with the artist or company.

The programme offers a €35,000 bursary over 3 years to support the research and development of new work, and to cover the cost of ongoing professional development through training and mentorship. The award also gives access to development and rehearsal spaces in ten Arts Centres across the country, support and mentorship from a panel of experts in producing, fundraising, technical production, dramaturgy, publishing, marketing, finance, cultural entrepreneurship, audience development and engagement, and strategic business development and cultural business management. Finally, this will give the artist an opportunity to present a work-in-progress performance as part of a major Irish festival.

ABOUT Luke:

Luke Casserly is a multidisciplinary performance maker from Longford, Ireland. His work weaves together ecological research, autobiography, sound art, and place as a way of carving out space for new possibilities to emerge between live performance and physical landscapes. His projects have brought audiences through city streets, back gardens, train stations, beaches, and a bog in the Irish Midlands which have led to the creation of a network of wildflower meadows across Ireland (1000 Miniature Meadows, 2020-23), the planting of 1000 indigenous trees (Root, 2021), and the development of an organic perfume made using botanicals from the Irish bog (Distillation, 2023). Luke is a recipient of the Arts Council’s Next Generation Award and was selected for the Norman Houston Multidisciplinary Commissioning Award with Solas Nua (Washington DC), as well as the International Forum at Theatertreffen (Berlin Festspiele). He was recently appointed as a Biodiversity Artist in Residence with Dublin City Council, and worked with the Irish Architecture Foundation and 12th Field as the Bog Bothy Artist in Residence throughout 2025. He holds a BA in Drama and Theatre Studies (Trinity College Dublin) and a Diploma in Art and Ecology (NCAD). Luke is currently Creative Placemaking Associate with Workhouse Union in Callan, Co Kilkenny.

Speaking about the PROPEL Award, Luke said:
“Receiving the Strollers PROPEL Award feels like a real milestone for me. It's an incredible investment in the future of my practice that will allow me to develop ambitious new work and continue expanding my place-responsive practice through new collaborations and partnerships across the country. I can't wait to see what the next three years will bring.”