You may have noticed our new research on the arts in Irish life here , which shows the very significant numbers of people engaging with the arts right across the country. One of the vibrant and rich ways in which people engage is through festivals, and this month, as we prepare for 2018, we renew our commitment to festivals in Ireland with the launch of our Festival Investment Scheme.
In 2017, we provided financial support for 155 festival organisations across the country, with activity in every county. And because they can take place in towns, in cities, on islands or at crossroads, they present the arts in environments that often encourage increased public engagement. Festivals are key producers and presenters of the arts and are critical to engaging large and diverse audiences, as well as providing opportunities for artists to develop, test and showcase their work.
The new scheme provides increased investment in the festival sector, supports festivals to build capacity and provides an opportunity for new festivals to emerge to ensure the lifeblood of new ideas. We’ve made a number of changes to the scheme, providing a development tool as part of the application process, changes to timeframes to aid planning, and a chain of funding supports that match the different developmental stages of a festival. Please take a look at our website for more information.
As festivals continue to grow and challenge our perceptions of how communities engage with the arts, we are delighted to launch the new scheme that provides an increased investment in and support for this important platform.
The Arts Council and Dublin City University are pleased to announce the appointment of poet, Dairena Ní Chinnéide, as Irish-Language Writer-in-Residence
The Arts Council, in association with The College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences (UCC) and the School of Music and Theatre (UCC), announce the appointment of the internationally renowned performer and teacher, Colin Dunne, as the Traditional Artist in Residence at University College Cork 2017-18.
The Arts Council and local government (through the County and City Management Association – CCMA) are commissioning an independent, strategic review of the network of venues and arts centres across the country.
The Arts Council Artist in the Community Scheme Bursary Award 2017 aims to support individual professional artists working in the area of collaborative art and activism. Closing date 17 November 2017 at 5pm.
Touring and Dissemination of Work Scheme for tours beginning between July and December 2018. Touring and Dissemination of Work Scheme Advance Planning 2019. We are delighted to announce that the Arts Council of Northern Ireland has confirmed that funding will be made available in 2018/2019 to touring applications which include a north / south element. The closing date for application for both touring schemes will be on 11 January 2018.
This opportunity is for a per cent for art commission in the field of traditional music focusing on the creation of new work. The commission is open to either individuals or collaborators to apply.