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The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, announced that she has approved the payment of an additional €1.9m to the Arts Council. This funding is in addition to previously additional allocations of €25 million to the Arts Council which was designed to help alleviate the effects on the arts of COVID-19. 

These funds are being allocated by the Council for:

• A range of bursary schemes which open for applications on the15th of December;
• A new Artists Support Scheme which will also open shortly. 

Throughout the pandemic, the Government has responded to the arts sector predominantly through the Arts Council. This further funding will assist the Council in supporting artists who have been hardest hit by COVID-19. With the changing public health regulations, many artists are unable to make a living or to plan for the future.

The Arts Council recently announced investment of €7 million in 530 artists across Ireland through itsBursary Award Scheme which saw grants of up to €20,000. This will help musicians, actors, writers, dancers, filmmakers, and visual and other artists develop their art.

Minister Martin said,

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us just how important the arts are to our lives. I am delighted that this funding is being made available to the Arts Council. The additional funding provided to the Council over 2020 will greatly assist artists and arts organisations that have been severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.”  

This Bursary Award forms part of a suite of new or enhanced grants and initiatives for both individual artists and arts organisations to support the sector through the pandemic. The second addition of €1.9 million will go some way towards these supports.