Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019
1223. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding streams available to assist professional photographers who travel to war-torn countries and so on to document the scenes and provide exhibitions of their work; and her plans to introduce such a scheme if none are available at present. [1701/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraCulture Ireland offers support to Irish professional artists, arts organisations and international presenters to present work by Irish artists at significant international venues and festivals. Culture Ireland considers applications for all forms of the arts, including photography, as defined in the Arts Act 2003:
“arts means any creative or interpretative expression (whether traditional or contemporary) in whatever form, and includes, in particular, visual arts, theatre, literature, music, dance, opera, film, circus and architecture, and includes any medium when used for those purposes”.
Only international events are supported (i.e. outside the island of Ireland), the event / exhibition must be accessible to an open public audience and fees must be payable to the artist or arts organisation.
Applications deemed eligible are firstly assessed on the artistic quality of work which could be defined as work that is ambitious, excellent and original, connects to audiences and has been presented nationally to critical acclaim. The assessment of the artistic quality of the proposed work is made using knowledge, experience and specialist advice. Other criteria for assessment include the track record of the artist or arts organisation; the financial and operational viability of the event and proven capacity of the applicant, artist or arts organisation to present work internationally; the profile of the international venue/festival and the wider promotional and the media impact anticipated.
In supporting an event, Culture Ireland offers grant funding towards costs which relate to the international presentation of the event (costs such as transport, accommodation and subsistence) rather than the creation of the art work. As such photographers can apply for Culture Ireland support in relation to the presentation of their work to international audiences, subject to other eligibility criteria. However, due to the competitive nature of each grant round and limited funding, eligibility and compliance with criteria for assessment alone do not guarantee that an applicant will receive grant funding.
