Funding for the arts at all levels is primarily a matter for the Arts Council. I secured significant additional funding for the Arts Council in Budget 2017. The increase in the Arts Council's allocation in 2017 is €5 million, or 8%, and will assist the Council greatly in implementing its 10-year strategy Making Great Art Work (2016-2025) across the country.
The Creative Ireland Programme – Clár Éire Ildánach 2017 – 2022 was launched on the 8 December 2016. Funding of €5m for the implementation of the programme was provided in Budget 2017.
This is a cross-Government initiative to mainstream culture and creativity in the life of the nation and to promote individual, community and national well-being. This will focus on boosting cultural provision and participation in communities and harnessing the goodwill and engagement generated by the 2016 commemorative programme.
The programme is based on five pillars:
- Enabling the creative potential of every child
- Enabling creativity in every community
- Investing in our creative and cultural infrastructure
- Establishing Ireland as a centre of excellence in media production
- Unifying our global reputation
Under the 2nd Pillar - Enabling creativity in every community - each local authority, with the support of my Department, has now established a Culture Team bringing together arts officers, librarians, heritage officers, museum curators, archivists and other relevant personnel led by a Director of Services, with a nominated person as 'Creative Ireland Co-ordinator'.
In terms of capital investment, in February this year I announced details of more than €9 million in funding for existing dedicated arts and culture centres across the country. The Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018 is the most significant investment in arts and cultural centres in a decade and will target investment at a range of different facilities, including arts centres, theatres, galleries and museums, as well as artists’ studios and creative spaces. Under Streams 1 & 2 of this scheme the Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo was awarded funding of €550,000. The Dock, in partnership with Leitrim County Council, was awarded funding of over €178,000 and North Leitrim Glens were awarded €50,000.
In August I announced further capital funding of almost €750,000 for more than 60 arts organisations around the country under Stream 3 of the Arts and Culture Capital Scheme. This scheme is geared towards providing capital grants of up to €20,000 to not-for-profit organisations with a defined arts and cultural remit. Under this stream Anaglyph Ltd (Leitrim Sculpture Centre) in Leitrim was awarded €20,000, while the Michael Coleman Heritage Centre CCE and Teach Morrison Outreach Centre CCE, both in Sligo, were awarded €20,000 and €7,550 respectively.
A full list of successful projects under the Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018 (Streams 1, 2 & 3) is available on the Department’s website at: http://www.chg.gov.ie/arts/creative-arts/grants-and-funding/