The National Museum of Ireland in partnerhsip with Mayo County Council Arts Service and Mayo Artsquad are delighted to announce Emer Mayock, as the commissioned artist for OnSight Live! 2026 - 2027.
OnSight is a long-established partnership project between the National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park, Mayo County Council Arts Service and Mayo Artsquad. The project commissions artists to develop new work in response to the exhibitions on display from the Irish Folklife Collection.
Over time, OnSight has evolved across disciplines and outcomes including visual art, installation, performance and poetry. In 2026 - 2027, OnSight will focus on music.
Through an open call process in March 2026, professional music-based artists or composers were invited to propose original work in response to the Irish Folklife Collection and to engage in creative collaboration with a group of young musicians in the development of new compositions.
As the selected artist, Emer Mayock will work collaboratively with young musicians (aged 13 - 18 years) from County Mayo. The project will foster exploration of traditional arts and country life in developing collaborative compositions, which will be shaped by creative engagement with the Irish Folklife Collection. Emer will also create a suite of newly composed works informed by research on the Irish Folklife Collection.
The project will culminate in a live performance at the National Museum of Ireland in Turlough Park and sound installations and recordings throughout the Museum’s galleries, which will allow visitors to experience the Folklife Collection through music, voice and storytelling.
Speaking on her commission, Emer says:
I am delighted and very grateful to have been awarded the OnSight Live! 2026–2027 commission. The Irish Folklife Collection provides us with such valuable insights into how people lived, worked and expressed themselves. This commission gives me the opportunity to explore the precious collection through music, looking to our traditions of music, song, dance and storytelling through the lens of the collection and creating new work in response. I am especially looking forward to sharing that process with young emerging musicians from Mayo and to the new ideas and perspectives they will bring. It is a privilege to work with Mayo County Council Arts Service, the National Museum of Ireland – Turlough Park and Mayo Artsquad on this exciting project."
Emer Mayock is a traditional musician, composer and arts consultant with extensive experience in performance, education, cultural policy, research and artistic collaboration. Emer is a multi-instrumentalist specialising in flute, uilleann pipes, whistle and fiddle, with an international reputation for excellence in Irish traditional music and innovative cross-genre collaboration. Emer is founder and director of Music of Mayo, a major cultural initiative dedicated to preserving and promoting Mayo’s musical heritage.