May 2012
Niamh Sharkey announced as Laureate na nÓg
President Michael D. Higgins announced author and illustrator Niamh Sharkey as Laureate na nÓg, Ireland’s laureate for children’s literature, presenting her with the Laureate na nÓg medal at a special event at the Arts Council. more >
March 2012
Arts Council archive stories offer insight into 1960s
The Arts Council today published a further ten stories on its archive website - an initiative launched last autumn to mark the 60th anniversary of the Arts Council. more >
Culture Ireland
The American economist John Kenneth Galbraith once noted that “all races have produced notable economists, with the exception of the Irish who doubtless can protest their devotion to the arts”. more >
February 2012
Arts Council/Clore Leadership Programme: call for applications for short courses
As part of its ongoing partnership with the Clore Leadership Programme, the Arts Council is pleased to announce that it will provide bursaries for up to five places on the Clore Leadership Short Courses in 2012. more >
January 2012
Arts Council commits an additional €740K in 2012 to see 33 arts organisations & artists tour
Audiences all over the country will have an opportunity in 2012 to enjoy some of the best in literature, visual arts, dance, film, theatre, music, traditional arts, street arts and circus, participatory arts and activity specifically for young people, with 33 arts organisations and individual artists receiving funding from the Arts Council to specifically tour work in Ireland to venues nationwide. more >
December 2011
Arts Council signals new opportunities for Opera
The Arts Council has adopted a new policy on opera which sets out how it intends to promote and develop opera in Ireland. more >
Championing the arts
When the Arts Council was established 60 years ago this month, the State was in the first stages of an economic meltdown that was to cast a shadow over the 1950s. more >
November 2011
Follow the money to see arts benefits
This week the Arts Council launched an updated report on the economic impact of the arts. While it is important to set out the nature and extent of such an impact, the case for public funding of the arts in Ireland can never be related to this alone. more >
The arts continue to be a major employer and contributor to Irish economic output
A report on the economic impact of the arts in Ireland, launched by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, shows that the arts provide significant direct and indirect employment, with Arts Council's annual funding from the Exchequer supporting over 2,600 jobs. more >
October 2011
Could this really be the beginning of a new cultural revolution in China?
Pledges to raise tractor output have been replaced by policies to boost the cultural sector. more >
Minister Deenihan launches Arts Council Archive Stories
Stories about work undertaken during the early years of the Arts Council, were published and launched today (13 October 2011) online by the Council at an event attended by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. more >
Minister eyes corporate cash for the arts
Companies will have to be more involved in the arts to make up for the absence of Government funding, Minister for the Arts Jimmy Deenihan has said. more >
Foreign banks step in to Irish arts scene as domestic funding shrinks
Foreign banks in Ireland are moving into the space occupied by Irish banks by sponsoring more art exhibitions as domestic institutions cut spending to cope with the financial crisis. more >
September 2011
Splanc! 2011
TG4 and an Chomhairle Ealaíon/the Arts Council invite submissions for the 7th season of Splanc!, the innovative television documentary scheme that supports the creative exploration of the arts in Ireland. more >
August 2011
Statement by the Arts Council about outgoing Director Mary Cloake
The Arts Council's Chairman Pat Moylan has led tributes on behalf of the members and staff to outgoing Director Mary Cloake as she leaves the Arts Council today (31 August 2011) after seven years as its most senior officer. more >
Future provision of opera
On 29 July the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan TD wrote to the Arts Council advising that the Council should assume full responsibility for all opera provision and implementation. more >
Is Irish opera damned to its fate?
Years of hand-wringing and neglect by successive arts ministers and the Arts Council, and the demise of the Irish National Opera company have been nothing short of a disaster for opera in this country. more >
July 2011
The cultural agenda
There has been a good measure of recent praise for the role of the arts in Ireland. This renewed sense of their primacy in our society is welcome, though the recognition that the Irish imagination is one of our greatest assets probably has more to do with their reputational value at a time when Ireland’s image as an economy lies in tatters. more >
Arts Council says Farmleigh 2 should commit to supporting the creative and cultural industries
The Arts Council has welcomed a report commissioned by the Western Development Commission (WDC) highlighting the potential for a doubling of the workforce employed in the creative sector over the next 10 years. more >
June 2011
Arts Council announces appointment of new Director
The Arts Council has today announced the appointment of Orlaith McBride as its new Director. The appointment was approved today by the Arts Council following an applications and interview process run by the Public Appointments Service. more >
Engaging with Architecture Scheme
The Arts Council and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht announce the Engaging with Architecture Scheme 2011, with the purpose of supporting new and exciting projects which will engage the public with architecture. more >
Irish language theatre - is it time to stage a revival?
While spoken Irish is encouraged in many sectors of society, theatre seems to be lagging behind in staging Irish language productions, but there are hopeful signs for the future. more >
Arts Council chief fits the bill when the going gets tough
INTERVIEW: Pat Moylan is on a mission to show just what the arts can do for the Government. more >
Minister Deenihan launches high-tech Culturefox platform for Irish cultural events
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan TD, today launched Culturefox, a pioneering new Irish cultural events guide that can be downloaded as a mobile phone app or used online, as part of Government efforts to boost the creative sector and draw more tourists to Ireland. more >
May 2011
Irish National Opera Company closes down
The new Irish National Opera Company whose formation was announced in 2009 has collapsed without presenting even a single production. Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, whose department was overseeing and funding the project, has formally returned responsibility for opera policy and provision to the Arts Council. more >
April 2011
Arts boards in danger of becoming mere parasites
The Government has decided that positions on State boards are to be advertised publicly, with all citizens free to apply. Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? more >
Call for applications: Step Up: Dance Project - a new initiative for dance graduates
The Arts Council, University of Limerick and Dance Ireland have announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at forming a bridge between dance education and professional dance practice in Ireland. more >
March 2011
Arts Council seeks Arts Advisers
The Arts Council has issued a series of requests for proposals from experienced practitioners wishing to provide services as Arts Advisers in a broad range of artforms and arts practice areas. more >
New Fundraising Resource for Creative ideas
The organisation Business to Arts has launched Fund it, the first ‘crowdfunding’ web platform in Ireland, with a view to raising funds from the general public for creative ideas from all over the island. more >
What's keeping Irish arts on the EU money margins?
Few Irish cultural organsiations are winning funds from Europe’s €400m Culture Programme – are they blocked by bureaucracy or just misinformed? more >
February 2011
Jerome Hynes Fellowship for future cultural leaders 2011/2012
The Arts Council has announced that the application window is open for the Jerome Hynes Fellowship, an award that aims to develop outstanding cultural leaders for Ireland. more >
Political parties go in search of the 'halo effect'
As the General Election nears, the positions of political parties on the arts assume greater importance and policies range from aspirational to plans for legislation. more >
January 2011
Imagining great Irish culture
The doom and gloom cycle continues unabated, so it seems like the new ambitious Culture Ireland initiative christened Imagine Ireland couldn’t have come at a better time to America to counter some of that negativity, and also to spark renewed interest in Irish culture for its own sake. more >
Ireland to Fund Cultural Programs in U.S.
The government of Ireland is set to fund a $5.3 million initiative to support a vast array of arts programming in the U.S. during 2011, the country's minister of culture is set to announce Friday in New York. more >
Largest ever programme of Irish arts to take place in the US in 2011 as part of Imagine Ireland
This first-time, unprecedented celebration of Irish arts – an initiative of Culture Ireland - will see over 1,000 artists and producers from Ireland create over 400 individual events across 40 states in the US from January to December, in all art forms including theatre, music, literature, visual arts, dance and film. more >
December 2010
Arts and health policy and strategy
The arts and health policy and strategy document outlines the Arts Council's support and understanding of arts and health and the values that underpin it's approach to arts and health practice. It also outlines strategic actions for the five year period 2010-2014. more >
Irish arts world escapes with 5% cut
A 5% cut in Irish Arts Council funding for next year, announced by finance minister Brian Lenihan in this week’s budget, has been welcomed with relief by the country’s arts community. The sector had expected that the cuts would be much deeper, given that the budget had been billed – and was – the toughest in Irish history. more >
People of Ireland call for cuts to overseas aid and arts funding
As Ireland prepares for what will be the toughest budget in history today, many are calling for dramatic cuts to overseas aid, arts and sports funding. Over half of the participants choose overseas aid as one of the three areas that should receive the highest level of cuts in today’s budget, followed by the arts at 46 percent and sport at 32 percent. more >
November 2010
Ireland cuts arts funding and tax exemption
Ireland’s arts sector has suffered a double blow in the four-year austerity plan just announced by the country’s government, with finance minister Brian Lenihan due to deliver further bad news in next month’s budget. more >
Spreading the real news from Ireland
This country’s economic crisis may be making headlines, but a much more serious and deeply influential image of this country emanates from the culture we send out to the world, argues Colm Tóibín . And now, more than ever, that mission is vital. more >
Developing the Arts in Ireland - Arts Council Strategic Overview 2011-2013
Our responsibility is to plan and provide in good times and bad, with the long-term good of the arts as our goal. Developing the Arts in Ireland - Arts Council Strategic Overview 2011-2013 is published in a spirit of confidence, tempered by the realism required to plan and provide for the arts at a time of significant difficulty in the public finances. more >
October 2010
Arts Council and University of Limerick announce new initiative in dance
The Arts Council and the University of Limerick has announced plans to undertake a feasibility study targeted at the development of dance education and professional training in Ireland. more >
Arts Council outlines strategic approach for next three years
The Arts Council has published its strategic overview for 2011 to 2013, saying that the document will inform its decisions over the period. more >
September 2010
New policy on Cultural Diversity
The Arts Council today announced a new policy and strategy for Cultural Diversity and the Arts, and launched a pamphlet, Cultural Diversity and the Arts: Language and Meanings. more >
Irish arts community protests against cuts
The Irish arts community have staged a two-day campaign to highlight the impact of funding cuts on members’ incomes and to lobby against further spending reductions in the next budget. more >
August 2010
Touring and Dissemination of Work Scheme – 2011 (Strand 2)
The Arts Council are delighted to announce a new scheme for supporting the touring and dissemination of work in all art disciplines. The principal purpose of the scheme is to ensure that audiences throughout the country have access to high quality arts experiences. more >
Engaging with Architecture Scheme
The Arts Council and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have launched a new scheme with the purpose of engaging the public with architecture. more >
July 2010
Arts Council announces new funding scheme in dance and theatre
The Arts Council has announced the introduction of four new funding schemes on a pilot basis for 2010-2011, one in dance, and three in theatre. more >
Engaging with Architecture Scheme launched
The Arts Council and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have launched a new scheme with the purpose of engaging the public with architecture. more >
Information clinics for new theatre funding schemes
The purpose of the clinics is to invite those interested to discuss the purpose and priorities of the new schemes and to offer technical information on the application process. more >
New report confirms arts as Ireland's most popular pursuit
The majority of people in Ireland go to an arts event at least once a year, with plays, art exhibitions and classical music concerts most popular in every part of the country, according to research to be published this week. more >
A tradition to hold dear
We Irish are world leaders and standard-setters in traditional music. In any other sector this uniquely Irish art form would be recognised as a definitive strategic and competitive advantage – why not here? more >
A contemporary art event to draw in the whole city
Dublin Contemporary 2011 has been a labour of love, but it may reap rewards for Irish artists internationally. more >
June 2010
The Arts Council announces new policy on Visual Artists' Workspaces
The policy aims to address the infrastructure of visual artists’ workspaces in Ireland in a way that is sensitive to the dynamics and diversity of the sector. more >
Arts Council announces €1million touring fund
People right across the country can expect to experience world class plays, concerts, performances and exhibitions in the months ahead under a special touring scheme, the Arts Council has said. more >
May 2010
Take a partner - Arts audiences initiative
Ever wondered if arts organisations should recommend the work of other arts organisations to their own audiences, and what the best ways might be to do this? Arts Audiences wishes to run a pilot project from June – September 2010 to devise and monitor a small number of ways of doing this, to see what lessons we can learn, with a view to publishing the results. more >
Irish Arts Council calls on government to follow Broadway model
Irish Arts Council chair Pat Moylan has called on government to copy the example of Broadway as a means of creating jobs and promoting economic recovery. more >
Arts Council wins top business award, offers to assist others
The Arts Council has offered to help other government agencies modernise and speed up their grants systems after it won the prestigious ICT Excellence award for the public service. more >
President Mary McAleese "Books are the stepping stones to your best self."
President Mary McAleese announced Siobhán Parkinson as Laureate na nÓg, Ireland’s first laureate for children’s literature, presenting her with the Laureate na nÓg medal at a special event at the Arts Council. more >
April 2010
The Cultural Contact Point launches new website
The CCP Ireland website has undergone a complete re-design and has been re-launched. more >
Arts organisations should seek funding from many sources to survive the recession, conference hears
The Arts Council held a conference this month for its funded organisations on effective philanthropy and corporate fundraising. more >
Local Partnership Scheme with new cultural diversity strand
The Arts Council re-introduces the Local Partnership Scheme which is designed to encourage new, local authority-led partnerships and innovative collaborative arts projects, including specific projects in the area of cultural diversity and the arts. more >
Irish music blogs under attack over royalties
Amateur websites face closure as Irish Music Rights Organisation demands annual licence fee. more >
Arts organisations should seek funding from many sources to survive the recession, conference hears
Arts organisations will have to be more businesslike and innovative, and seek funding from a variety of sources, if they are to survive the recession, participants at an Arts Council conference heard today. more >
March 2010
Young people ready to breathe life and arts into derelict buildings
Young people have vowed to transform derelict and unused buildings into vibrant cultural centres - if Nama and local authorities around the country give them the space and the opportunity. more >
Arts Council conference on effective philanthropy and corporate fundraising for funded organisations
The Arts Council is holding a conference on Monday 19 April in the National Gallery, for its funded organisations, on recessionary management and how effective philanthropy and corporate fundraising can help grow non-statutory income. more >
New national opera company to be created
Arts Minister Martin Cullen has announced the establishment of an Irish National Opera. Formed from the merger of two State-funded companies, Opera Ireland and Opera Theatre Company, the company will be based in Dublin and will also tour nationwide. more >
Touring and dissemination of work scheme - 2010
The Arts Council is pleased to announce a new scheme for supporting the touring and dissemination of work in all arts disciplines. The principal purpose of the scheme is to ensure that audiences throughout the country may have access to high quality arts experiences. more >
The Arts Council invites young people to share their views online at www.futurearts.ie
FutureArts.ie is designed and managed by Exchange Dublin, a youth-led arts collective. more >
Arts Council Chairman welcomes publication of ‘Innovation Ireland’
Arts Council Chairman Pat Moylan today welcomed the publication of ‘Innovation Ireland’ - the report of the innovation taskforce - and said it underscored how the arts can be used to drive jobs in the digital economy and creative industries. more >
Why we need a ministry of joined-up thinking
While the Government’s smart-economy framework plan implicitly recognises the important role the cultural and creative sectors will play, it could be argued that both sectors are still poorly understood and fragmented. more >
February 2010
Arts Council announces 2010 funding decisions
The Arts Council, the government agency for funding and developing the arts, has made its major grant allocations for 2010, distributing in excess of €49m to more than 350 arts organisations. more >
Arts Council invites young people to share their views about cultural life and the arts
Art-Youth-Culture: FYI will bring together 60 young delegates between the ages of 15 and 23 to discuss young people's participation in cultural life and the arts with their peers and key policy-makers. more >
Cuts in Arts Council funding
Letter of defense from Seán Mac Cárthaigh, Director of Public Affairs of The Arts Council to Willie White's criticisms (Arts, February 12th) of The Arts Council's funding allocations and complaints that the council is too procedural and takes too long to make decisions on which projects to fund. more >
December 2009
New Media Mentoring Scheme: an initiative of Arts Audiences
In this scheme, experts from a variety of organisations offer their services as mentors to arts organisations looking to build relationships with new and existing audiences online. more >
Budget 2010 via Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild Blog
The Irish Government has released its Budget for 2010, and while the predicted cuts have indeed arrived, they are not as ruthless as the McCarthy Report encouraged. Many recommendations of the report have been ignored entirely. more >
November 2009
Saving the paintings as the floods rise in the gallery
‘SOME AMAZING saves” have resulted from the emergency conservation work continuing at UCC’s Glucksman Gallery in Cork, where director Fiona Kearney has marshalled a team to rescue items damaged in the flood waters. more >
Mentoring scheme – new media marketing
Arts Audiences is pleased to announce details of the New Media Mentoring Scheme, in which experts from a variety of organisations offer their time, for free, to mentor arts organisations seeking to build relationships with new and existing audiences online. more >
Art for whose sake?
Now that cuts are very much on the agenda the Irish arts scene is finally attempting to fight its corner – with rather less success than the trade unions, it has to be said, but it’s not public uninterest that has sealed the fate of culture funding, its the arts’ shilling for government that has done the damage. more >
Upton welcomes report on economic value of the arts
Labour Party Spokesperson on Arts, Sport and Tourism Mary Upton TD has welcomed the publication of a report commissioned by the Arts Council which has highlighted the economic value of the Arts to the economy. more >
Arts are big contributor to economy, can drive new jobs -- report
The arts make a very significant contribution to the Irish economy and can be a major driver for jobs and investment, new data released today has shown. more >
October 2009
The art of good health
There has been a huge growth of interest in the Republic in the area loosely described as art in healthcare settings. more >
Arts can drive jobs growth in knowledge economy says Moylan
The Chairman of the Arts Council, Ms Pat Moylan, addressed the Government's Innovation Taskforce today and urged that the employment potential of the arts be exploited as a way out of the recession. more >
Take your seat promotion - register for free and discounted tickets now
For the first time in Ireland, performing arts venues all around the country have decided to take action, joining forces to promote the performing arts in Ireland. more >
Arts Council Chairman says folly to cut funding
The Chairman of the Arts Council, Ms Pat Moylan, has said it would be folly for the Government to treat the arts as some kind of luxury that would be easy to cut in a recession and has warned against "thoughtless hacking" at the Arts Council’s budget. more >
Cullen Announces New Investment Venture In Irish Arts And Culture
Martin Cullen T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism has announced a new 3-year corporate investment venture in Irish arts and culture between Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Ireland's Business to Arts organisation. more >
Follow Vital Signs conference and exhibition on Twitter
Vital Signs is a programme of arts and health events taking place in October 2009. more >
Arts minister disputes Irish opera merger plan
An Irish Arts Council plan to merge the republic’s three existing opera companies into a single national company based in Wexford has run into trouble, with arts minister Martin Cullen, himself an opera fan, publicly disagreeing with it. more >
September 2009
Irish arts world launches unified bid to fight €37m of cuts
A national campaign has been launched by the Irish arts community aimed at protecting the sector from across-the-board cuts of €37 million recommended by a government-appointed committee. more >
Visual artists’ workspace minor capital grant
Visual Artists Ireland, on behalf of the Arts Council, invites applications for grants towards the cost of equipment and/or improvements to the quality of visual artists’ workspaces. more >
How much is enough?
It’s time for the arts to put its own figure on the value of the arts and to make a more robust, coherent case for their continued funding, argues Stuart McLaughlin, of Business2Arts more >
Artists’ tax-free status in Ireland could end
Since 1969, being a writer, musician, or visual artist in Ireland has carried a distinct advantage: exemption from paying income tax on earnings. But if the country’s Commission on Taxation has its way, that special treatment will end. more >
Tax free era for Irish artists may end
For decades Irish-based writers, musicians and visual artists have been exempt from paying income tax on their earnings under the Republic's tax laws. more >
Arts Council to argue for continuation of artists’ tax exemption
The Arts Council has said it will make a strong case to Government for the retention of the artists’ tax exemption scheme. more >
August 2009
Cuts won't blunt edge of the Fringe
With 90 shows to stage, and less money to do it with, this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival will still thrive, says its artistic director, Róise Goan more >
Arts funding for the circus
As we struggle around the country offering our audiences a brief respite from the changing winds of fortune I have noted with some concern the response of the arts community to the proposed funding cuts. As the newest arrival to the table we are hoping that the minimal funding which circus receives is not seen as an easy target by our more well-off cousins. more >
Bureaucrats should never call the tune for the arts
We all lose if a recession is used as an excuse to impose mediocrity and tighter state control, writes Emer O'Kelly. more >
Bureaucrats should never call the tune for the arts
Tell a pop fan that U2 and Bruce Springsteen should amalgamate because there's really no difference between them, and the sound they'd make together would be more efficient, and you would rightly be regarded as a lunatic. more >
July 2009
Best of arts coming to your venue
People right across the country can expect the best of the arts to visit them under a new Arts Council policy to boost touring. more >
Audiences 2:0: Access the power of the Internet!
Arts Audiences are organising a series of one-day seminars designed to assist arts organisations develop internet strategies tailored specifically to their own needs. more >
Public art website goes live
The Arts Council are delighted to announce that www.publicart.ie has now gone live. more >
Calls to abolish Irish arts ministry greeted with anger by cultural leaders
A report recommending that the Irish Republic’s department of the arts be abolished, its functions transferred elsewhere and overall funding cut by €37 million has shocked and angered those involved in the sector. more >
Garry Hynes issues a ‘call to arms’ to defend the arts
Garry Hynes, leading Irish theatre director, said this is “a time of great peril for the arts” given the drastic economic downturn and the recommendations of An Bord Snip, which, if implemented, could seriously hurt the arts in Ireland, and particularly in Galway. more >
Theatre chief says plans for cutbacks in arts 'incredible'
An impassioned defence of arts funding was made at the weekend by the chairwoman of the Arts Council and the artistic director of Druid Theatre. more >
Best of arts coming to your venue
People right across the country can expect the best of the arts to visit them under a new Arts Council policy to boost touring. more >
Irish gov't agency: Cut arts funding
The Irish government's department of finance recommended late last week to shave €37 million in arts and culture funding, including cuts that would drastically affect the Irish Film Board. more >
‘Vibrant’ Donegal arts can boost jobs, tourism and lead recovery
Donegal’s vibrant artistic heritage and creative, collaborative approach marks the county out as resilient and filled with potential, the Director of the Arts Council has said. more >
Don't cut arts funding plea as festival gets underway
The arts are an intrinsic part of the fabric of life and should not be the first area to cut when times get hard, Druid Artistic Director Garry Hynes said at the launch of the 32nd annual Galway Arts Festival in
the city last night.
more >
Arts Council launches a new guide to cultural events
The Arts Council has launched a free on-line guide to the vast and diverse mix of activities, shows, exhibitions and performances that it supports around the country. more >
June 2009
Arts Council to launch free ‘What’s On’ Guide - list your event now!
The Arts Council is requesting all funded organisations and individuals to submit public events for inclusion in a new online guide. more >
Joint Arts Councils’ research on artists in Ireland
The Arts Council/ an Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland have jointly commissioned detailed and extensive research into artists’ living and working conditions on an all island basis. more >
Minister Cullen welcomes Irish Arts Review 25th Anniversary Edition
First published in 1984, the ‘Irish Arts Review’ is a journal of art and design in Ireland. The Arts Council-funded review, published four times a year, features articles on Irish painting, design, sculpture, architecture, photography and decorative arts. Subjects range from pre-history to contemporary Irish art, together with artist profiles, a quarterly diary of events, auctions and exhibitions around the country. more >
Consultation on examining new ways to fund the production and presentation of theatre
This document sets out ideas which encapsulate, from an Arts Council perspective, some of the challenges facing both the theatre sector and the Council regarding how best to fund theatre production in the future. more >
May 2009
A notice to all funded organisations on the Arts Council's reduced budget allocation
You may be aware that the Arts Council grant-in-aid from Government has been reduced twice in recent months - in February and again in April. The combined effect of these cuts is a loss of €2.35m on the sum originally provided in the October 2008 budget. more >
The Arts Council presents a new document on animal welfare in the arts
The European Parliament in 2005 noted that classical circus, which includes the presentation of live animals, was part of European culture and should be further supported as such. However, it must be emphasised that the Framework for the Welfare of Animals Presented in the Arts applies not only to circus but to any other artform that incorporates live animals in its presentation. more >
April 2009
No time for faint arts
The arts are often first to lose out when governments slash budgets, but former chairman of Arts Council England Sir Christopher Frayling argues that increasing arts budgets could aid economic recovery. more >
Arts Council chief defends move to hire extras for free
The Chairwoman of the Arts Council has defended her theatre company’s move to seek people to appear in its new production for no pay. more >
Statement by Pat Moylan, chairman of the Arts Council, on the revised estimates
The Arts Council recognises the very difficult issues facing the Government and the need to reduce public expenditure. more >
March 2009
An update on the touring experiment
The Touring Experiment is an initiative of the Arts Council - a two year action research project designed to inform and shape future policy for touring in the Republic of Ireland. more >
Additional ethical practice resources for artists and arts organisations working with children and young people
Building on Guidelines for the protection and welfare of children and young people in the arts sector, the Arts Council is pleased to introduce two new resources for artists and arts organisations working with children and young people. more >
Members of the Arts Council and the executive meet with the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community and Gaeltacht Affairs
On the 11 March, Mary Cloake, Director; Pat Moylan, Chairman; Alan Stanford and Philip King, Members of the Arts Council met with the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The subject up for discussion was arts funding, and particularly maintaining arts funding during the economic downturn. more >
Keeping the audience in the picture
Renowned for her energy and can-do approach, former Andrews Lane Theatre director Pat Moylan is not daunted by taking over as chairwoman of the Arts Council at a time of recession and spending cuts. In fact, she prefers it that way. more >
February 2009
A new liaison group formed between the Arts Council and the County and City Managers' Association
One of the key objectives of Partnership for the Arts was to review and further develop our current partnership with local authorities, paying particular attention at policy level to our important relationship with the County and City Managers’ Association. more >
Arts Audiences - a partnership project between the Arts Council and Temple Bar Cultural Trust
This important project seeks to clarify and address issues around audience development and experience in the arts, recognising that in constrained economic times, it is of greater than ever importance that arts organisations maximise engagement with, and revenue from, their audiences. more >
Mansergh launches Learn and Explore Programme 2009
The Learn and Explore Programme takes place at the National Concert Hall and consist of events for all ages including masterclasses, school workshops, concerts, rehearsals and talks. more >
Fall of the small after unkindest cuts of all
Three well-established, but smaller, theatre companies have had their Arts Council funds entirely withdrawn, a decision resulting in the demise of at least two of them. In a crisis that is likely to lead to more cuts, does a new council strategy mean the end of the theatre company as we know it, asks Peter Crawley. more >
January 2009
Invitation to tender on research project on artists in Ireland
The Arts Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland wish to retain a research consultant to identify and describe the socio-economic conditions and regulatory context of Artists in Ireland. more >
Arts Council announces 2009 grants
The Arts Council, the Government agency for funding and developing the arts, has made its major grant allocations for 2009, distributing almost €60 million to 352 organisations, venues, festivals and communities across the country. more >
December 2008
Cultural tourism, the Arts and Film - part of what we are
Arts, culture and film are the creative sectors of our economy. These sectors are primary economic contributors, real businesses, enduring employers and the backbone that defines us as a cultural and tourist destination. Overall, the arts, culture and creative industry sectors employed an estimated 46,000 people in 2008. more >
Pat Moylan appointed Chair of Arts Council
Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism announced new membership to the Arts Council including the appointment of independent theatre and film producer, Pat Moylan as the new Chairperson. Six other appointments have been made to the Board, including one re appointment. more >
Arts Council Director welcomes new Arts Council members
The Director of the Arts Council, Mary Cloake, today welcomed Pat Moylan as chairperson of the Arts Council, as well as new Council members. more >
November 2008
Arts Council delay
Why has the Arts Council been left without a chair and a full complement of members for almost four months? more >
€347,000 in funding awarded through the Music Capital Scheme
A total of €347,000 has been awarded to professional musicians, non-professional performing groups and community-based organisations involved in supporting music practice in their area for the purchase of musical instruments and rehearsal equipment. more >
Artists' Mobility - Aspiration or Reality: Conference Summary
Artists' Mobility - Aspiration or Reality - the annual conference of the European Council of Artists took place in Dublin on the 7th and 8th of November, with approximately 60 participants representing artists’ organisations, ministries of culture, arts councils etc. from 20 European countries. more >
Minister Mansergh launches Art and Architecture of Ireland Project
Dr Martin Mansergh TD Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for OPW and Arts has launched a new major project for the Royal Irish Academy – Art and Architecture of Ireland. The aim of the project is the creation of a comprehensive history of Irish Art and Architecture to be published in five volumes covering the years 400 – 2000. more >
October 2008
Conceptual art against a canvas of commerce
In 2006, Irish business spent €15 million on arts sponsorship, according to the Dublin-based industry body that helps broker arts sponsorship deals, Business2Arts. more >
Artists caught up in Lenihan’s tax net
Art has suddenly become a more taxing business. The 1% income levy introduced by Brian Lenihan, the finance minister, last week will draw hundreds of artists, writers and musicians into the tax net for the first time. more >
Arts Council comments on its Budget allocation
The Government has allocated a grant of €75.7 million to the Arts Council for 2009. more >
Intercultural Ireland Conference
To mark Ireland's contribution to the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, Martin Cullen T.D. is hosting a concert and conference in Leuven to discuss and show case intercultural dialogue in Ireland in the arts, culture, audiovisual, sports and tourism sectors. more >
More than 10,000 people across Ireland in choirs - report
Singing in choirs is one of Ireland’s most popular arts activities, with more than 10,000 people in 400 choral groups right across the country, a new report from the Arts Council reveals. more >
August 2008
Free culture no strings attached
Culture vultures can gorge themselves on the arts next month when museums, galleries and theatres welcome them, free-of-charge in the first National Culture Night, an initiative of the Arts Council. more >
Cultural missionary man
In the last three years, Culture Ireland has being promoting Irish arts with all the zeal of a missionary, and it is matching support for established acts with riskier projects. more >
Dr Martin Mansergh launches Kevin Whelan pamphlet at the Arts Council
The pamphlet, entitled Between filiation and affiliation: the space of art, describes the crucial role art plays in our development as a society, and the role of the artistic imagination in creating the future. more >
July 2008
Arts and disability website an essential tool
www.artsanddisability.com, the first all-Ireland website to provide information, resources and facts about arts and disability, is already proving to be an essential tool for parents, families, advice workers, arts bodies and the wider community. more >
Olive Braiden to Relinquish Chair of the Arts Council
Ms Olive Braiden, Chair of the Arts Council for the past five years, has announced that she will complete her term next month and will not be continuing in the role. more >
Arts Council plans further three year initiative for Traditional Arts
The move comes after the successful completion of the Traditional Arts Initiative 2005-2008, which introduced the Deis scheme and increased support for the traditional arts through the Arts Council’s mainstream grants and awards. more >
Arts Council Chair expresses regret at the passing of Seamus Brennan TD
The Chair of the Arts Council, Ms. Olive Braiden has said she learned with great regret of the passing of Seamus Brennan, TD. more >
Arts Council publishes Arts and Education Report
The Arts Council has published 'Points of Alignment', the Report of the Special Committee on the Arts and Education. more >
June 2008
Minister of State Mansergh launches Dublin's free Cultúr Bus
Dr Martin Mansergh, TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works and the Arts, has launched the Dublin Cultúr Bus, a free shuttle bus service operating on Sundays between the city's National Cultural Institutions and other visitor attractions. more >
Violins for free No strings attached
A new €350,000 funding purchase scheme, The Music Capital Scheme, funded by The Arts Council in association with The IRMA Trust, provides support for the purchase of musical instruments. It targets highly-skilled performing artists, non-professional performing groups and those working in youth or community organisations. more >
Music Capital Scheme and Research Project
The Arts Council, The IRMA Trust and Music Network today announced details of the Music Capital Scheme and Research Project, an action-research initiative designed to provide support for the purchase of musical instruments in 2008. more >
Waiting room reading gets a dose of poetry
Medical waiting rooms are preparing to throw out celebrity magazines in favour of Shakespearean sonnets or the poetry of Emily Dickinson. more >
Arts eyes generous donors
A plan to encourage more philanthropy as a source of funding for the arts is being prepared by the Arts Council. It has asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen for his assistance in developing such a culture. more >
Philanthropy underutilised source of funding - Arts Council
Philanthropy is an underutilised source of funding for the arts, and the new Ireland should expect and encourage those who have prospered most to give back to national life, the Arts Council has said. more >
May 2008
First visit by new Minister for Arts, to the Arts Council
In a briefing by Ms Braiden, Minister Cullen heard that the arts are collectively the single most popular pursuit in today's Ireland. more >
What's going on with Culture Ireland?
Thanks to increased government funding, Culture Ireland appears to be a breath of fresh air in promoting the visual arts abroad. Looking at its pattern of decisions, however, visual arts may not be as well-served as appearances suggest. more >
Forum recommends arts academy
A high level Trinity College Dublin forum on the future training needs for actors has recommended that the Government should consider establishing an independent Irish Academy of Theatre Arts. more >
Arts Council increases Cnuas to Aosdána members
As part of an ongoing commitment to improving its range of supports for artists, the Arts Council has announced a significant increase in the Cnuas, the payment made to some Aosdána members to allow artists to devote themselves full time to creative work. more >
Cullen replaces Brennan as Irish arts minister
A new Irish arts minister has been appointed - the third in less than a year - following a government reshuffle. more >
Arts Council announces study into Public Engagement with Architecture
The team carrying out the study will identify and assess supports for the public’s engagement with architecture, it will also examine current supports for public engagement with architecture in Ireland. more >
April 2008
Arts Councils Agree Closer North South Cooperation
The two arts councils on the island of Ireland today agreed closer cooperation, including harmonising support for artists, strengthening arts organisations and bringing the best of Irish arts to audiences at home and abroad. more >
Digital Cinema in Ireland
The Cultural Cinema Consortium commissioned a report, Digital Cinema in Ireland, by Ron Inglis, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the digital cinema environment and to inform policy development in this area into the future. more >
Young Ensembles Scheme established
The Arts Council is pleased to announce a new pilot funding scheme for young ensembles. The scheme targets groups of young people between the ages of 12 and 23 years who are working collaboratively to create art, across a range of art forms. more >
Ballet companies team up to boost classic dance
A new initiative funded by The Arts Council of Ireland has injected a new lease of life into Irish ballet with the creation an promotion of a long-term structure to enhance up and coming dancers and widen their audience. more >
Dance on the Box
The Arts Council and Irish broadcaster RTÉ ‘Dance on the Box’ program challenges film and dance artists to create work for the television audience. more >
March 2008
Artists' body won't cut off poet's funding
The Irish pension scheme is under scrutiny after a poet's mis-spending was revealed in a television documentary. more >
February 2008
Museum opening hours to be extended
Museums and cultural institutions will have their weekend and evening opening hours extended as part of new measures to increase public access to the arts announced today. more >
The Arts Council and the National Action Plan Against Racism
The Arts Council, the Irish Government Agency for developing the arts, and the National Action Plan against Racism (NPAR) are delighted to announce that they have entered into a partnership to carry out research designed to develop a cultural diversity policy for the arts. more >
Additional Funding of €40m for Arts and Cultural Infrastructure Projects
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Séamus Brennan T.D. today unveiled details of the comprehensive Arts and Culture Plan 2008 that commits additional funding of €40m for arts and culture infrastructure projects countrywide, restoration of the Heritage Fund for the acquisition of works of artistic and cultural significance, extended and more flexible opening hours at national museums, cultural venues, galleries and libraries, and a doubling of funding for national touring programmes to bring drama and cultural events to a wider audience. more >
Arts Council announces Jerome Hynes Fellowship for future cultural leaders 2008/2009
The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealáion has announced that the application window is now open for the Jerome Hynes Fellowship, an award that aims to develop outstanding cultural leaders for Ireland. more >
January 2008
Minister seeks rise in arts sponsorship
Arts minister Seamus Brennan is aiming to treble corporate and business sponsorship of the arts. more >
Arts Council undertakes review of visual artists’ workspaces
The purpose of the research is to asses the provision of workspaces for visual artists and to make recommendations on how the Arts Council might approach future strategic support and development for workspace provision. more >
December 2007
Arts Council hosts a welcome reception for new Aosdána members
The Arts Council established Aosdána in 1981 to honour those artists whose work has made an outstanding contribution to the arts in Ireland, and to encourage and assist members in devoting their energies fully to their art. more >
Disincrease for the arts in budget
There should be a word for an increase that is effectively a decrease - 'disincrease', maybe? more >
November 2007
Abbey Theatre to stage subtitled play
The facilities, which are being used for the first time in the Abbey’s 104-year history, are being co-ordinated by Arts & Disability Ireland (ADI) with funding from The Arts Council. more >
Arts Council reports unprecedented level of demand for funding from arts sector
The Arts Council, the Irish government agency for developing the arts, reports demand for 2008 in excess of €130 million, €60 million more than was available to the Council for grant-giving in 2007. more >
Arts Council looks for extra €20m
The Arts Council has said it needs an extra €20 million in funding from the Government for 2008. more >
Research into Public Engagement and Architecture in the Republic of Ireland
The tender process has opened for research into public engagement with architecture in Ireland. more >
Lights, cameras but very little action as ailing Ardmore struggles
Ireland long benefited from offering tax and financial incentives to film studios. However, since the mid-1990s other European countries have followed suit, with many now offering more attractive packages. more >
October 2007
Arts Council publishes The Value of the Arts pamphlets by Emer O’Kelly and John McAuliffe
Mary Cloake, Director of the Arts Council said, "The pamphlet series was commissioned to encourage consideration of the many ways in which the arts impact upon our lives..." more >
Invitation to tender: Review of visual artists’ workspaces
The Arts Council wishes to retain a research consultant(s) to asses the provision of workspaces for visual artists in the Republic of Ireland and to make suggestions on how the Arts Council might approach future strategic support and development for workspace provision. more >
Actors struggle on just EURO 7200 a year
The president of Irish Equity has urged the Arts Council to set up a new system of multi-annual funding that would enable theatres to better manage their revenue and create more jobs. more >
September 2007
Arts Council announces new senior management appointments
The Arts Council has announced three new appointments to its senior management team, strengthening the support and advice the senior executive can give the Council and the arts sector. more >
Research team selected for participatory arts networking study
The Arts Council of Ireland has selected a research team and project steering group to carry out research into Participatory Arts networking in Ireland. more >
August 2007
Ireland needs to invest in weather-independent experiences says Arts Council Chair
The Chair of the Arts Council or Ireland has called for investment in major arts and cultural renewal projects. more >
Arts Council urges Government to invest additional €20 million in the arts in 2008
The Arts Council is asking the Government for an additional €20 million in 2008, to bring its funding to €100 million for the first time and enable the Arts Council to focus on the development of a number of key areas identified in consultation with arts organisations around the country. more >
July 2007
Goodbye to all Vat
The government is considering scrapping a controversial tax on non-resident artists performing in Ireland.
Arts Council announces participants in the Touring Experiment
The Arts Council is pleased to announce the third group of organisations to participate in the Touring Experiment. more >
June 2007
Arts Council Announces decisions on Regularly Funded Organisations
The Arts Council recently announced its decisions under its new programme for Regularly Funded Organisations (RFO) for 2008. more >
Arts Council urges new Government to invest €100 million
The Arts Council is to ask the incoming Government to provide €100 million funding for the arts in 2008 as part of their new Programme for Government, a €20 million increase on funding for 2007. more >
May 2007
Irish Arts Council opens public debate on ‘crucial role’ of the arts
The Irish Arts Council has launched a public debate on the value of the arts as the opening salvo in its bid for an increase in annual funding from central government to €100 million (£68 million) in 2008. more >
Arts Council Ireland launches Arts Debate 2007
The Arts Council of Ireland has published the first of a series of pamphlets designed to encourage public debate on the value of the arts. more >
April 2007
Arts Council Ireland Look to Traditional Arts
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and The Arts Council - An Chomhairle EalaÃon have launched a joint Traditional Arts funding programme. more >
Arts Council Ireland Broadens Touring Experiment
The Arts Council Ireland has broadened the scope of The Touring Experiment, bringing more organisations into its action research project designed to inform and shape future touring policy. more >
March 2007
Arts Council Ireland Looks to Youth
The Arts Council Ireland will this year distribute an extra €185,000 across sixteen organisations working in the area of young people, children and the arts. more >
February 2007
New arts award brings Irish and Northern Irish artists together
An innovative joint venture by the Arts Councils of Ireland and Northern Ireland is offering a new curators award to Irish artists. more >
Special Committee on Arts and Education Issues Call for Public Submissions
Looking for ways to “best align its strategies for the promotion and encouragement of the arts with the priorities of the formal education systemâ€, Arts Council Ireland’s Special Committee on Arts and Education has issued a call for public submissions. more >
January 2007
Arts Council Funding Plans for Organisations
Ireland’s Arts Council will fund 313 organisations in 2007 through its revenue funding funding programme, the Council’s main grants programme for arts organisations. more >
Arts Council Ireland Welcomes National Development Plan
The Irish government’s National Development Plan – a long-term, large-scale scheme infrastructure spending, which includes a planned investment of €1.13 billion in culture – has been officially welcomed by the Arts Council. more >
St Patrick’s Festival man is Irish arts policy adviser
Irish arts minister John O’Donoghue has appointed a new arts policy consultant, his third in a little more than two years. more >
Arts Council Ireland Looking for Consultants
Ireland’s Arts Council is looking to employ part time consultants across a range of art policy areas for terms of up to three years. more >
December 2006
Arts and Education Committee Sets Out Priorities
Arts Council Ireland’s new Arts and Education Committee has established its key priorities. more >
Arts and Education Committee Sets Out Priorities
Arts Council Ireland’s new Arts and Education Committee has established its key priorities. more >
Arts Getting More Accessible in Ireland
Ireland’s Arts Council has released a report on public participation in, and attitudes towards, the arts. more >
Arts Getting More Accessible in Ireland
Ireland’s Arts Council has released a report on public participation in, and attitudes towards, the arts. more >
November 2006
Call for More Investment in Irish Cultural Institutions
Ireland’s Council of National Cultural Institutions has called for investment in cultural institutions to be made a key element of the 2007-2013 National Development Plan. more >
Call for More Investment in Irish Cultural Institutions
Ireland’s Council of National Cultural Institutions has called for investment in cultural institutions to be made a key element of the 2007-2013 National Development Plan. more >
Arts Council swamped by funding demand
The demand for arts funding continues to outpace the increasing amount of money that has been made available to Arts Council Ireland over the past number of years. more >
Arts Council swamped by funding demand
The demand for arts funding continues to outpace the increasing amount of money that has been made available to Arts Council Ireland over the past number of years. more >
Local councils commended
The Arts Council of Ireland has formally commended the work of local authorities around the country in developing the arts. more >
August 2006
Irish Arts Sector Gets Funding Boost
Arts minister John O’ Donoghue has allocated an extra €16.4 million to the Irish arts sector. To be divided between 29 arts and cultural projects, the money will go towards refurbishment, renovation and repair works, and cover new equipment, fixtures and fittings. more >
Ireland’s Small Festivals Scheme
Organisers of small arts festivals and events will be able to apply for a maximum of €20,000 in funding support next year, Arts Council Ireland has announced. more >
June 2006
Council to investigate arts broadcasting
The Arts Council of Ireland has announced it will commission a report on arts broadcasting in Ireland. more >
Arts Council holds meeting in Killarney
The Arts Council is holding its annual policy meeting in Killarney today and tomorrow, Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 June. more >
May 2006
New publication for arts and teachers launched
Ireland's Minister for Arts recently launched a new publication designed to assist teachers and artists in providing good arts education. more >
March 2006
Ireland publishes guidelines for children in arts
The Arts Council of Ireland has recently published guidelines on the protection and welfare of children and young people in the arts. The guidelines have taken two years to create and aim to assist arts organisations in creating policies and procedures to safeguard youth welfare during arts activities. more >
New Architecture Consultant for Arts Council
The Irish Arts Council has appointed a new Architecture Specialist Consultant. Emmett Scanlon will be responsible for providing policy advice to the Arts Council, for development and issues on architecture. more >
Irish Council to study dance
The Irish Arts Council is planning some new initiatives in dance, with an invitation to tender being sent out from the Council. Organisations and artists that are involved in dance are being sought to provide choreographic research and practice. more >
January 2006
Irish Arts Council commits €51 million to arts in 2006
The Arts Council of Ireland has committed €25.7 million to the Abbey Theatre to carry out its programme of work over the next three years - 2006, 2007 and 2008. It is the largest grant ever made by the Arts Council and it is also the first time a three-year funding programme has been put in place for the National Theatre. more >
December 2005
€350,000 awarded to Irish festivals
The Irish Arts Council has awarded €350 000 to small events and festivals. Each project has received up to €20 000, double what was awarded last year. more >
Irish book raises €130,000 for tsunami victims
The tsunami aid publication by Irish writers and publishers, 'Moments: Irish Women Writers In Aid of the Tsunami Victims', has raised over €130,000 for the victims of the South East Asian disaster. more >
New goals for Irish Arts Council
The Arts Council of Ireland has published a new strategy for the board. It offers goals for the period of 2006 to 2010, and was presented to Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, John O’Donoghue. more >
Irish Arts Council disappointed on tax plans
The Arts Council of Ireland has welcomed news that the artists’ tax exemption scheme is to remain, but says it is disappointed that the exemption is to be capped at €250 000 in any one tax year. more >
For long-pampered artists, Ireland's taxman cometh
Finance Minister Brian Cowen told lawmakers on Wednesday that he wanted to restrict tax loopholes that have created a "phenomenon of tax-free millionaires," including some of the country's best-known artists. more >
Irish Arts Council gets more funds
The Irish Arts Council has been pleased to hear that Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, John O'Donoghue, has given additional funding of €5.23 million to the Arts Council. more >
November 2005
Arts Council of Ireland receives €72.3 million
The Irish Government will be granting the Arts Council of Ireland €72.3 million for 2006. This is a significant increase in funds, with last year’s budget of €61 million. A supplementary grant of €500,000 was also given to the Council this year for traditional arts. more >
Arts Council fights for artists' tax exemption
A delegation from the Arts Council of Ireland has urged the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, to keep the artists’ tax exemption. The 36-year old scheme may be scrapped, which would lead to possible flight of local artists and emerging artists would feel the pinch the most. more >
Arts Council report reveals conditions for theatre practitioners in Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland has launched its report ‘Socio Economic Conditions of Theatre Practitioners in Ireland.’ The publication of the report, which focuses on the financial pressures faced by the nation’s theatre practitioners, coincides with the Arts Council’s attempts to leverage more government funding for the arts in 2006. more >
September 2005
New fund launched under Arts Council’s Traditional Arts Initiative
Arts Council Ireland has launched its new Deis funding scheme under the auspices of its Traditional Arts Initiative 2005-2008. The scheme seeks to encourage and facilitate the traditional arts community to obtain increased funding from the Arts Council, so it is appropriate that ‘deis’ means ‘opportunity’ in Irish. more >
July 2005
Arts Council to support traditional arts
The Arts Council for Ireland has announced it will implement a 3-year Traditional Arts Initiative, intended to prioritise the traditional arts toward realising its ambition of fully mainstreaming the traditional arts within the Councils activities. more >
June 2005
Arts Council welcomes boost for traditional arts
The Arts Council has welcomed the announcement by Minister John O’Donoghue of €500,000 additional funding earmarked for the development of traditional arts. more >
Ireland may abandon tax exemption scheme for creative writers
Ireland, the land of saints, scholars and scribes, still nurtures a guilt complex for banning and exiling its greatest literary names. more >
Arts Council draft strategy consultation still open
The Arts Council aims to publish its new strategy in September. As part of the second phase of consultation about this document, the Council will be accepting submissions on its draft strategy until 1 July 2005. more >
May 2005
New initiative announced for traditional arts in Ireland
Ireland’s traditional arts community has been allocated funding to the value of €3 million in 2006, representing a four-fold increase on the level of funding in 2005. The funding was announced in conjunction with the Arts Council’s decision to implement a new three-year initiative for the traditional arts. more >
Twelve new members elected to Aosdána
Twelve new members were elected today to Aosdána, the affiliation of creative artists in Ireland, bringing its total membership to 210. more >
Cultural Cinema Consortium announce funding for Art House Cinema
The Cultural Cinema Consortium - a joint initiative of the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board - have announced that capital investment, funding valued at €750,000, each has been offered to two cinema venues - Solas in Galway and the new Light and House@Smithfield development in Dublin. more >
April 2005
Arts Council and Irish Film Board launch new documentary film fund
The Arts Council and The Irish Film Board are calling for proposals for a new production fund entitled Documenting the Arts. more >
Arts Council Ireland supports independent arts publishers
Arts Council Ireland has announced a new scheme to assist independent publishing houses in the creation and dissemination of publications of a specialist, cultural and artistic nature. more >
Irish Council’s work together, Four now
Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland prepare for exhibition to celebrate art on the island of Ireland. more >
March 2005
Labour proposes wealthy artists should pay tax
The Labour Party has suggested that authors, artists and musicians who earn more than €100,000 each year should lose the tax-free status on their artistic income. more >
Arts Council Ireland Director speaks out on Tax Exemption Scheme
Director of Arts Council Ireland, Mary Cloake, has released a statement concerning the national Artists' Exemption Scheme. more >
Underway, first Irish Language Books Promotional Campaign
The Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Ealaíon has welcomed the launch of the Seachtain na Gaeilge Irish Language Books Promotional Campaign 2005, a partnership initiative between the Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge, CLÉ (the Irish bookpublishers' association) and ÁIS (the Irish book distribution agency). more >
February 2005
Arts Council extends bilingual services
Arts Council Ireland has unveiled a new bilingual email newsletter, making it the first state sponsored body to extend its bilingual reach through electronic information delivery. more >
Revenue set to reveal list of artists who benefit from tax breaks
More than 2,000 artists who received tax breaks are to be revealed by the Revenue Commissioners in a move prompted under the Freedom of Information Act. more >
Culture Ireland launched to promote Irish arts abroad
The Arts Council of Ireland has welcomed the establishment of Culture Ireland, a new national agency to promote Irish arts overseas. more >
Ireland looks to sector to inform new arts approach
The Arts Council of Ireland is currently consulting with the arts community, key organisations, individuals and the public, to assist in preparing a new approach to supporting the arts. more >
January 2005
Irish Arts Council Appoints Traditional Arts Specialist
The Arts Council has announced the appointment of Liz Doherty to the new consulting role of Traditional Arts Specialist, beginning in early March. more >
Air of dissent as Cork fears a cultural damp squib
When Cork launched itself as this year's European capital of culture - the smallest city on the smallest budget to take on the role - expectations were high. more >
Millionaire musicians to lose Irish tax free status
The tax free status accorded to writers, artists and musicians in the Irish Republic is to be reviewed, with a minimum tax rate or sliding scale of reliefs likely to be introduced for top earners. more >
December 2004
Arts Council warns of Northern Ireland shortfall
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has welcomed an additional £15.5 million from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure towards supporting arts facilities in the capital but warned of inadequate resources to meet operational costs across the province. more >
Arts Council to fund almost 300 bodies next year
The Arts Council yesterday announced increased funding for arts organisations across Ireland for next year, with plans to fund 297 entities, 39 more than 2004. more >
Ireland boosts support for arts organisations
The Arts Council of Ireland has announced increases in revenue funding for 2005 for arts organisations across the country. more >
Arts Council gets increase in State funding
The Irish Arts Council is getting a 16 percent increase in funding, with some €61 million in funding allocated to the body for 2005. more >
October 2004
Funding arts gets creative
Arts Council director Mary Cloake talks about public funding for the arts industry like an economist. more >
Arts Council Ireland seeks funding boost for increased artist demand
The Arts Council of Ireland has called for a funding increase to cope with an ‘unprecedented demand’ from artists and arts organisations. more >
New screen sector report explores cultural, economic issues
The Arts Council of Ireland, in association with Sgrîn Cymru Wales, have revealed key findings from the newly released report on cultural and economic trends of the screen sector in Ireland and Wales. more >
Partnership fund to support arts documentaries in Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland and the Irish Film Board have partnered to create a new fund for creative arts-based documentaries called Documenting the Arts. more >
September 2004
Ireland releases Auditoria Report on arts venues
The Arts Council of Ireland has released the results of Auditoria - a review of planning, programming and provision for performing arts venues in Ireland held in 2001 and 2002. more >
August 2004
Goverment will not come to aid of Irish film industry
Irish Arts minister John O’Donoghue has ruled out any special measures to revive the Irish film industry, currently experiencing a worrying decline in major production projects. more >
July 2004
Arts Council Ireland announces new direction for 2005
The Arts Council of Ireland has announced the priorities and principles which will underpin its programme for next year, alongside the basis for its new strategy for supporting the arts. more >
June 2004
New director for Arts Council Ireland
Arts Council Ireland Chair, Olive Braiden, has revealed the new Director of the Council. more >
Bid to preserve heritage on internet
Proposed new EU-wide moves to ensure all cultural internet sites meet high standards are to be discussed today. more >
May 2004
€475m docks scheme will include arts centre
The Dublin Docklands Development Authority yesterday announced plans for a €475 million scheme to redevelop a pivotal site in the Grand Canal Docks, including an 'iconic' 2,000-seat performing arts centre. more >
Irish playwright wins copyright court case
Award-winning Irish playwright Ms Marie Jones has successfully defended her authorship of one of the most successful Irish dramas of recent years, 'Stones In His Pockets.' more >
Festival Of Irish Culture And Art Underway In China
A festival of Irish culture and art is underway in China. The event was opened last night by Irish Arts and Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue. more >
March 2004
Arts Council's Left Stumped As Quinn Quits Job
The dramatic decision by the director of the Arts Council Ireland, Patricia Quinn, to quit her job came completely out of the blue and left board members stunned, it emerged yesterday. more >
February 2004
Aosdána General Assembly
Aosdána, the affiliation of creative artists in Ireland, held its 21st General Assembly at Dublin Castle on Thursday 5 February. Six new members were elected to the exclusive organisation, bringing the total membership to 199 artists. more >
January 2004
Ireland’s cultural Presidency
Ireland has commenced the Presidency of the EU with a strong cultural focus including visits by Irish artists and performers to a number of European cities. more >
December 2003
Ireland invests in its artists
Despite tough budget times, Ireland will continue to provide its film industry with hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks. more >
Special Committee on Traditional Arts announced
A Special Committee on the Traditional Arts has been established to aid the Arts Council of Ireland in developing the sector. more >
November 2003
Arts Council voices support for funding increase
The Arts Council of Ireland has praised the government for a 19 per cent increase in funding for 2004. more >
Arts Council hosts information briefing for sector
On October 31, the Arts Council of Ireland hosted an information briefing for all the arts organisations that applied for financial support in 2004. more >
October 2003
Arts Council of Ireland requires more funding to meet demands
The Arts Council of Ireland will require a significant increase in funding from the government next year if it is to meet the demands of arts organisations seeking financial support, said Ms Olive Braiden, Chair of the Arts Council. more >
September 2003
First meeting of new Arts Council
The newly appointed Arts Council of Ireland held its inaugural meeting in Dublin this month. more >
Arts Council of Ireland introduces new funding scheme for festival and events
In line with a range of improvements in its grant application processes this year, the Arts Council of Ireland has introduced a new funding scheme to support small festivals and events. more >
August 2003
Arts Council of Ireland improves funding process
The Arts Council of Ireland has announced a series of improvements in its grant application process for 2004 more >
July 2003
Economic and cultural impact study takes place in Ireland and Wales
An independent consultancy firm has been appointed to work on the most comprehensive study ever into the economic and cultural impact of cinema in both Ireland and Wales. more >
Ireland supports arts in education
As a contribution to the promotion of best practice standards in arts in education, the Arts Council of Ireland has published a new directory entitled 'Supporting Arts in Education.' more >
June 2003
Arts Council of Ireland releases 2002 Annual Review
The Arts Council of Ireland's 2002 Annual Review was launched under a new format by Minister for the Arts, Sport and Tourism, John O'Donoghue TD, in Merrion Square on June 17. more >
May 2003
New appointments at Ireland's Arts Council
Ireland's Arts Council has announced two new appointments to its Arts Programming department. more >
April 2003
Arts Council of Ireland completes internal procedure review
The Arts Council of Ireland has recently completed a comprehensive review of internal procedure. more >
March 2003
Arts Council of Ireland announces resignation of Literature Officer
The Arts Council of Ireland has announced the resignation of Sinead Mac Aodha from her position as Literature and Irish Language Arts Officer. more >
February 2003
New arts policy director at arts council of Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland has announced that Seamus Crimmins will join the organisation on a temporary secondment during April. more >
Funding program cancelled in Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland has announced the suspension of its publication assistance and exhibition assistance awards in architecture for 2003. more >
January 2003
Ireland's arts funding down
2003 funding for Ireland's arts organisations may be under threat, according to Arts Council of Ireland Director, Patricia Quinn. more >
November 2002
Irish Film Board faces sharp budget cuts
Amid a set of sweeping public service cuts announced in pre-budget estimates for 2003, the Irish government is set to reduce the Irish Film Board’s funding by an aggregate 12.5%. more >
Restructure at the Arts Council of Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland has indicated in its October newsletter that it is currently embarking on a restructuring program, aimed at enhancing the role of its professional staff in continuing to meet the new challenges that come with being Ireland's agency for developing the arts. more >
September 2002
Art thieves hit stately home
Art thieves have hit a stately home in Ireland for a fourth time in 27 years, just days after two artworks were recovered from a previous theft at the property. more >
Critical acclaim boosts Irish film industry
After languishing in the doldrums for several years, things are beginning to look up for Irish film. more >
June 2002
Irish government's new film policy considered out of place
Ireland is struggling to retain its attraction as a location for film producers, thanks to increasing labour and service costs, growing competition from cheaper foreign locations, and now, a new government arts department that seems oddly unenthusiastic about film. more >
May 2002
Forum on Broadcasting
Ireland's Forum on Broadcasting, established on 22 March this year by Sile de Valera, Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, is about to close submissions tomorrow, 16 May, and has recently launched a website to track and communicate the forum process and outcomes. more >
April 2002
Government backs Arts Council's five-year strategy plan
At a reception in the Arts Council of Ireland's premises last week Sile de Valera TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, launched the publication of the 'Arts Plan 2002-2006', and announced that on her recommendation it had been endorsed by the Irish Government. more >
New publications celebrate role of arts development
The Arts Council of Ireland today launched three publications which celebrate the role of local authorities in nurturing artistic activity and thereby creating a nationwide infrastructure for local arts development. more >
March 2002
Irish Arts Council announces grants and new leadership initiative
The Arts Council of Ireland's Director, Patricia Quinn, has announced details of the organisation's grant decisions for this year, as well as outlining a new initiative to promote leadership in the arts. more >
February 2002
New award to support emerging Irish architects
The Arts Council of Ireland has joined forces with the Office of Public Works to offer a major new award in architecture. more >
October 2001
Arts backing for city’s bid
Northern Ireland's Arts Council chief executive has given her resounding endorsement to Belfast's bid to be European City of Culture in 2008. more >
November 2010
Arts & Culture in Local Development Conference
The conference will explore the role of the arts and culture in achieving local economic and social development objectives, and how we can unlock the potential of future integrated planning in these areas. more >
June 2010
The future of music in the digital world
With access to music now just a click away for most of us, very few of the tried and tested ways of accessing music remain unchanged. Can we, or should we, attempt to predict the future? Have we even begun to deal with the present yet? more >
November 2008
New Media, New Audience?
The Arts Council is pleased to bring together national and international experts from the arts, social media and broadcasting in a one day working seminar to explore the ways in which artists and the public are adapting and adopting new ways of producing, presenting and promoting the arts. more >
July 2008
How Are We Doing? Managing Culture and the Arts in Ireland, 2008
The conference will enable practitioners to reflect on their management environment, as well as the skills, training and lifestyle issues that affect arts and cultural managers in contemporary Ireland. more >
March 2006
October 2005
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
October 2003
May 2002
January 2012
Cultural Tourism: A How-To Guide
This guide has been published as part of the Arts Audiences: Build your Audience scheme 2011, which
focused on cultural tourism by providing the services of marketing consultant Annette Nugent to two arts
organisations for particular cultural tourism audience development initiatives. This guide complements that
work by providing information on the tourism sector and practical approaches for including visitors in your
audience development strategies.
more >
November 2011
Assessment of the Economic Impact of the Arts in Ireland
A report on the economic impact of the arts in Ireland, launched this morning (16 November 2011) by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, shows that the arts provide significant direct and indirect employment, with Arts Council's annual funding from the Exchequer supporting over 2,600 jobs. more >
March 2011
A Report on the Encountering the Arts Conference
The conference was the third in a series of events held during 2010, which aimed to interrogate the current relationship, and explore possible synergies, between the arts and education. more >
January 2011
Developing the Arts in Ireland
The Arts Council’s strategic approach for 2011-2013 builds on previous plans. It has a dual focus on supporting artists and arts organisations and on seeking to increase public engagement and participation in the arts. The strategic directions outlined in this document are necessarily flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances. more >
December 2010
Shift in Perspective: An arts and disability resource pack
This resource pack is the result of a partnership between the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Arts & Disability Ireland (ADI), Mayo County Council, the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and South Tipperary County Council. It grew out of the partner organisations’ work to develop innovative approaches in highquality
contemporary arts and disability practice, and to make arts venues more accessible to artists and audiences with disabilities.
more >
October 2010
Art-Youth-Culture: FYI Report and Arts Council Response
The Arts Council’s Young People, Children, and Education team is pleased to announce the publication of a report detailing the findings from Art-Youth-Culture: FYI. more >
Arts Audiences publishes customer service manual
As part of its ongoing work to publish resource material for arts organisations, Arts Audiences has made available a simple manual aimed at assisting arts organisations to assess and improve customer service to the public and users. more >
September 2010
Cultural Diversity and the Arts: Language and Meanings
The Arts Council today announced a new policy and strategy for Cultural Diversity and the Arts, and launched a pamphlet, Cultural Diversity and the Arts: Language and Meanings. more >
The Arts Council announces new policy on Cultural Diversity
The Arts Council today announced a new policy and strategy for Cultural Diversity and the Arts, and launched a pamphlet, Cultural Diversity and the Arts: Language and Meanings. more >
August 2010
Arts Audiences publishes findings from organisations mentored by Google Ireland
Under the Arts Audiences New Media Mentoring Scheme, Google Ireland provided mentoring to four arts organisations across the country. A series of insightful reports from organisations have now been published on the Arts Audiences website. more >
The Living and Working Conditions of Artists in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
The average professional artist living in the Republic of Ireland earns just €14,500 a year from his or her art, despite having a higher level of formal education than the wider labour force, new research shows. more >
July 2010
New report confirms arts as Ireland's most popular pursuit
The majority of people in Ireland go to an arts event at least once a year, with plays, art exhibitions and classical music concerts most popular in every part of the country, according to research published this month. more >
How People Live their Lives in an Intercultural Society
The report is the result of conversations between people living in Ireland who have different roots. It becomes apparent that many aspects of an individual’s life – such as being a parent or playing a sport or being a member of a religion – have special effects on one’s attitudes to the cultural environment. more >
June 2010
Arts Audiences publishes key reports from the Build Your Audience Scheme
Arts Audiences has published two key reports of interest to arts organisations looking to explore better ways to connect with and engage audiences. more >
The Arts Council announces new policy on visual artists' workspaces
The Arts Council has announced a new policy on visual artists’ workspaces - Visual Artists’ Workspaces in Ireland: A New Approach. This policy follows on from the Review of Visual Artists’ Workspaces in Ireland, completed in 2009. more >
Visual artists’ workspaces in Ireland
Following discussion with visual artists' studio groups and residential facilities as part of the Partnership for the Arts consultation process, the need for a clear Arts Council policy in support of artists’ workspaces was identified. more >
May 2010
Arts Audiences' publishes reports from the Build your Audience Scheme and the New Media Mentoring Scheme
Arts Audiences' New Media Mentoring Scheme continues to progress well, with the publication of three reports from the recipients of the scheme. The reports may be of interest to arts organisations seeking to capitalise on digital media to connect with and build their audiences. more >
Arts Audiences publishes a guide to developing a brief for a website: a mentoring report from TBG&S
Considering a new website? Want to optimise the outcome, and keep costs as low as possible? Under Arts Audiences’ New Media Mentoring Scheme, Aoife Flynn of asquared mentored Rayne Booth of Temple Bar Gallery & Studios as she prepared a brief for the organisation’s new website. more >
Evaluating your digital strategy: a mentoring report from the Youth Council
There’s no doubt about it, digital and social media hold great potential for those looking to increase the engagement with their audiences. For those with little experience of the area, the promise is great, and yet without significant experience in the area, it can be difficult to envisage what is involved in building momentum around a blog, or a social media campaign, using Facebook or Twitter. more >
A guide to marketing your production on tour
The first report from the Arts Audiences' Build Your Audience scheme is available online. This report, A guide to marketing your production on tour, has been produced by Coisceim Dance Theatre with Heather Maitland. more >
April 2010
New Media Mentoring Scheme: first report published
Arts Audiences has published the first in a series of reports on the outcomes of the New Media Mentoring Scheme on its website http://artsaudiences.ie/. more >
December 2009
Public engagement with architecture in the Republic of Ireland
In 2008, the Arts Council commissioned research into ‘Public Engagement with Architecture in the Republic of Ireland’ with the purpose of advancing the commitments set out for architecture in Partnership for the Arts. more >
A review of visual artists’ workspaces
Following consultation with visual artists’ studio groups and residential facilities as part of the Partnership for the Arts consultation process, the need for a clear Arts Council policy on its support for artists’ workspaces was identified. more >
Arts are big contributor to economy, can drive new jobs -- report
The arts make a very significant contribution to the Irish economy and can be a major driver for jobs and investment, new data released today has shown. more >
July 2009
Research into the living and working conditions of artists in Ireland
A detailed context paper addressing the definition of artists, the research rationale, existing data in Ireland, the regulatory and support environment, the changing environment for artists, and a summary of key research issues in preparation for a jointly commissioned research into artists' living and working conditions on an all island basis. more >
May 2009
Examining new ways to fund the production and presentation of theatre
This document sets out ideas which encapsulate, from an Arts Council perspective, some of the challenges facing both the theatre sector and the Council regarding how best to fund theatre production in the future. more >
March 2009
Guidelines for taking and using images of children and young people in the arts sector
The guidelines are intended to provide support and guidance to arts organisations and artists working as arts practitioners, facilitators or tutors making, recording and using images of children and young people. more >
Solo practitioner code of practice for working with children and young people
The code is intended to provide support and guidance to artists working in a solo capacity as practitioners, facilitators or tutors with children and young people. more >
January 2009
Framework for the Welfare of Animals Presented in the Arts
The Arts Council presents a new document on animal welfare in the arts. The document, mindful of applicable legislation and good practice, strives to ensure that the welfare needs of all such animals are met. It sets forth policy, creates obligations, and provides information and guidance to entities featuring animals in their arts activities who seek funding from the Arts Council. more >
August 2008
Annual review - an athbhreithniú bhliantúil 2007
A review of the arts in Ireland in 2007. more >
June 2008
Points of Alignment: The Report of the Special Committee on the Arts and Education
A report on arts-in-education provision in Ireland that makes five key recommendations to improve such provision. more >
March 2008
Venues policies and programmes
A dedicated area of the Arts Council of Ireland's website where you can find goals, actions and publications relating the the Arts Council's venues policies. more >
November 2007
Artistic Freedom - Anxiety and Aspiration
Issue no. 8 of 'Printed Project' brings together a range of contributors to think about artistic autonomy. more >
Festivals and events - summary policy paper
A page that outlines the Arts Council of Ireland's support to festivals. more >
September 2007
Towards a strategy of support for Professional Ballet in Ireland
Reviews the status of ballet in Ireland and creates a direction forward for ballet’s advancement and development in Ireland. more >
August 2007
European industrial relations observatory
EIRO has a number of resources on artists' socio-economic status. more >
July 2007
November 2006
July 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
The performing arts sector: Papers on Future Trends and Issues
Three publications on defining the performing arts sector, reviewing trends and drivers affecting the sector and the major policy issues and challenges facing the sector. more >
October 2005
Socio Economic Conditions of Theatre Practitioners in Ireland
Contains an international review of research on the socio-economic conditions of artists and artist support policies. more >
December 2004
Irish Festivals Irish Life: Celebrating the Wealth of Ireland’s Festivals
An independent report that provides an overview and analysis of the Irish festivals movement and makes recommendations for future support and development of the sector. more >
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