The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Mr. Jimmy Deenihan TD, today (12 February 2014) announced details of the 2014 Local and Regional Museums Scheme administered by his Department.
The Local and Regional Museums Scheme is designed to support small and medium sized museums across the country. This year, the scheme will allow for the funding of small capital projects on a matched funding basis (75:25) and funding of up to €200,000 is being made available for suitably qualified museum development projects in small and medium regional museums.
Projects funded under the Scheme should seek to enhance the cultural offering of museums; to encourage greater access to museums and to promote the use of museums as tourism resources in their locality or region.
Museums are a focal point for their communities and have a pivotal role in dispensing their local knowledge and displaying their unique collections to locals and tourists alike. They also make a significant contribution to the development and promotion of Ireland's cultural tourism offering, to the benefit of both the domestic and foreign tourist.
In announcing details of the Scheme, the Minister commented:
"Our smaller regional museums play a vital role in the life of local communities. They serve not only as tourist attractions, but also as custodians of local history, traditions and customs. They provide all of us with an insight into our past, and ensure that we have an understanding of our political, economic and social history. The assistance provided under my Department's Local & Regional Museums Scheme will ensure that local communities and tourists alike, can continue to reap the benefits of these wonderful repositories."
Museums which benefitted from the Scheme last year include the Irish Jewish Museum, Donegal County Museum, the Curragh Military Museum, Rothe House and Garden, the Dundalk County Museum and the Model in Sligo. Successful projects included the hosting of specific exhibitions, the conservation of collections and specifically designed educational projects.
Applications for funding under the 2014 Scheme are invited from local and regional museums and/or organisations and institutions that operate as not for profit institutions whose primary role is to collect, safeguard, hold in trust, research, develop and interpret collections of original objects and original objects on loan, for the public benefit.
Funding can only be awarded to projects which meet all of the relevant criteria. All projects proposed should be creative and innovative and meet one or more of the following objectives:
Enhance the cultural offering of the Museum;
Encourage greater access to the Museum;
Promote co-operation and joint initiatives between eligible museums / organisations / institutions;
Promote the use of Museums as tourism resources in their locality or region;
Increase visitor numbers at the Museum;
Examples of the types of projects which will be considered include, inter alia, display cases, exhibition panels, signage, conservation works and website development.
Full details of the the 2014 Local and Regional Museums Scheme are available on the Department’s website at:
http://www.ahg.gov.ie/en/Culture/Schemes/LocalandRegionalMuseumSchemeApplication/
The closing date for receipt of all applications is 31st March 2014.