Arts Council confirms new strategy will be published in early autumn

Arts Council of Ireland - An Chomhairle Ealaíon,
21 May 2015, Ireland

A its May plenary meeting, the Arts Council announced that it intends to publish its new strategy for the arts in Ireland in early autumn. The Council said 2016 would therefore represent a year of transition, and that its funding period for organisations in its three main grants programmes would revert to the calendar year from 2017.

 

Since 2011, those funded as Regularly Funded Organisations, in receipt of Annual Funding or an Annual Programming Grant have been funded from April to the following March. The move was introduced at a time of financial uncertainty as a way to help organisations plan better. Since then, the annual Budget, when the Arts Council’s grant from Government is announced, has been brought forward from December to October, and the financial crisis has eased.

 

“This means that as we transition to our new strategy, 2016 will be a ‘short financial year’ for many organisations,” said Arts Council Director Orlaith McBride. When we open the window for applications in September, our organisations will be proposing programmes from April to December 2016.”

 

Separately at their annual joint plenary meeting, the Arts Council/An Comhairle Ealaíon and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland reconfirmed their commitment to north/south touring through the Arts Council’s/ An Chomhairle Ealaíon’s Touring Scheme.  This will mean that people in both the Republic and the North will continue to experience great work including theatre, dance, music and exhibitions by artists on both sides of the Border, the Arts Council has confirmed.

 

The news will be welcomed by audiences in both jurisdictions. This will mark the second year of the initiative, which has already seen more than 30 tours by artists and arts organisations visiting over 40 venues north and south. 

 

Among the highlights in 2014 supported by the scheme were tours by the Abbey Theatre with Sive; by Aisling Ghéar with Makaronik; Tumble Circus with Damn the Circus; Una McKevitt with Singlehood; and by Moving on Music with Australian band The Necks.

http://www.artscouncil.ie/News/Arts-Council-confirms-new-strategy-will-be-published-in-early-autumn/