merrion street

The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has today announced an increased funding allocation of €111,000 to support Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools taking place around Ireland in 2019.

The Scheme is designed to assist local cultural events which may not be eligible under funding criteria for larger scale events such as those supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies.  Closing date for applications was the 19th April 2019. Funding was allocated following a competitive applications process, with a maximum grant of €5,000 available.

There was unprecedented demand for this scheme in 2019, with 109 applications: By comparison, when the scheme was first launched in 2016, there were 20 applicants. As a result, the funding allocation was increased from €75,000 in 2018 to €111,000 this year.

This scheme is reflective of the values expressed in the ten year commitment in Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027, which sets out the Government’s commitment for capital investment of almost €1.2 billion in Ireland’s culture, language and heritage.

Speaking today Minister Madigan said:

I am very pleased to support the Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools scheme again this year.  Local community events connect their residents and keep old traditions alive and contributing new elements to the cultural sector. These events also help attract new visitors to towns and villages across Ireland, showing off what makes each locality unique and building a strong sense of pride for the community.

This Government values culture and the arts – they add hugely to our lives and to our communities. That’s why we have already made significant progress on our public commitment to double funding for culture, heritage and the Gaeltacht by 2025. In Budget 2019, funding for arts and culture increased by €22.6m to almost €190m, an increase of 14% on 2018.