NAVIGATOR Artist in Residence Joseph Leighton announced for Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Co. Kildare this July 2026

IMC’s Navigator Jazz Residency programme was established in 2021. Since then 29 musicians have enjoyed bespoke residencies through venue partners Ballina Arts Centre, The Source Arts Centre Thurles, An Grianán Theatre in Letterkenny, Riverbank Arts Centre Newbridge, Courthouse Arts Tinahely, Garter Lane, Waterford and the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast. For the 2026 edition, we welcome the esteemed Triskel Arts Centre, Cork into the fold.

NAVIGATOR offers jazz and improvising musicians professionally remunerated time and space to develop and perform work, while building creative and professional relationships in new locations.

Joseph Leighton is one of the finest young jazz guitarists to emerge on the Irish jazz scene. He has performed alongside established jazz musicians Meilana Gillard, John Leighton and MOBO nominee David Lyttle. As well as regular residencies performing in his hometown of Derry, Joseph has also played at the Derry City Jazz festival and Stendhal Festival of Art. In 2016 Joseph featured in the line-up for Brilliant Corners Festival in Belfast playing support to acclaimed duo Tommy Smith & Brian Kellock and the Vein Trio. He has studied under David Lyttle, Mike Walker, Vijay Iyer and Jesse Van Ruller, was one of the youngest musicians to be awarded a place on the Jazz Course at the Banff Centre, Canada and was selected as one of Moving On Music’s ‘Emerging Artists’ 2016- 17. With his recently established Joseph Leighton Trio, featuring James Anderson (drums) and Jack Kelly (bass), he is a talent to watch. Ahead of his Navigator residency, Joseph said:

"I'm so excited to have the opportunity to be Artist in Residence this year at the beautiful Riverbank Arts Centre in County Kildare. I've been spending a lot of my time in the hectic big smoke that is London and, whilst I love the city, being away from it all is often very inspiring for me, so this is the perfect opportunity to work on some new music. I've been wanting to explore writing more for solo guitar, as well as for a guitar duo, something I'd love to develop with my friend and mentor, Phil Robson, who we're very lucky to have living in Ireland for the past few years. It has been difficult to find the time to explore these ideas with so many other projects going on, but being at the beautiful Riverbank this year will give me the space to do that. I'm also really excited to meet local and young musicians who are interested in jazz. I've been fortunate enough to do lots of workshops for young people in London, so I'd love to pass on any knowledge I can to up-and-coming musicians in Co. Kildare this summer."

Matt Rafter, Programme Manager at the Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge said;

“Riverbank are thrilled to partner with IMC for the Navigator residency programme once again this year. We have been lucky to have welcomed a diverse array of artists through the Navigator programme in recent years, including Cora Venus Lunny, Eamonn Cagney and Patrick Stefan, with each participant using the opportunity to explore different ways of creating, conceiving and collaborating. Joseph Leighton is a talented emerging jazz artist, and we hope to help facilitate new connections, and support him in the process of writing new guitar music. We're looking forward to welcoming him into our arts community here in Newbridge!”

The NAVIGATOR residency programme is part of IMC's commitment to further develop the national scene for jazz and improvised music, improve artist touring mobility, develop audiences nationwide, and develop creative opportunities and fruitful new relationships for musicians.

Further NAVIGATOR artist residencies will be announced in due course.

Riverbank Arts Centre: riverbank.ie
Joseph Leighton Instagram: instagram.com/josephleighton