We are delighted to announce the recipient of the Misleór Short Doc Grant for 2024 – Ella Louise Ward! Hailing from Tuam, County Galway, Ella is an artist and a renaissance (wo)man who thrives on learning new things, embracing creativity, and taking on fresh challenges. Her passion for art and creativity drives her to explore and push boundaries which fuels her desire to learn and grow.
Ella’s short documentary, ‘My Kind of People’, will explore the role of friendship within the Traveller community and what factors contribute to that friendship. She wants to learn what friendship truly means for Travellers today and what it meant many years ago.
Through interviews with friends and family, Ella hopes to discover the impact of friendship and camaraderie within the community and discuss challenges now versus for older generations. She’s also interested in finding out people’s opinion on the fact that “80% of Irish people would not accept a Traveller as a friend.”
While working in retail, Ella is an Artist in her spare time. At 20 years old, she is also the first Irish Traveller Youth advocate for the youth mental health organisation Jigsaw. With the grant, Ella looks forward to buying her own equipment and to working with mentor Alice McDowell to create a documentary that will be premiered at the Misleór Festival of Nomadic Cultures in September.
The Misleór Short Documentary Grant is part of the 2024 Galway City of Film programme and is supported by Misleór Festival, Galway Traveller Movement, Ardán, Galway City of Film, Galway City Council / Galway City Arts Office, Galway County Council / Galway County Arts Office, Screen Ireland, and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
