Creative Careers Realities Conference 2026

Thursday 5 February 2026, 10am–2.45pm

The Centre For Contemporary Art Derry~Londonderry is delighted to partner with the North West Regional College to deliver a one day online conference for Art and Design students, from both the Strand and Limavady campuses. 

The aim of the conference is to hear directly from artists about their art journeys, experiences and their creative career path. Discussing where and when it began, what challenges they faced and where they at with their art practice today. The students will also learn about the artists' work, the context of their work, their processes and materials they use. They will hear about their thoughts on the art sector as a career choice.

During the conference the students will hear from invited guest-speaking artists Ciarraí MacCormac and Cara Donaghey. Ciarraí recently had a solo exhibition, Dura, in CCA from October to December 2025. Cara was an exhibiting artist in CCA's exhibition URGENCIES (2025), which ran until 15 March 2025. There will be additional contributions form CCA Director, Catherine Hemelryk and Public Programmes Curator, Laura McCafferty.

This conference forms part of the CCA's Public Programme for 2026.