On 29 September, the Taoiseach and I announced 25 awards totalling more than €4.3 million under the Shared Island Local Authority Development Funding scheme at an event in Cavan. Funding was awarded to 25 projects which brought together 23 different local authorities from across the island.
Galway City Council, as the lead local authority, was awarded €147,000 in funding for the Atlantic Region of Creative Content project. This project brings together the expertise and strengths of the partner organisations to support the development of an all-island creative industries cluster, facilitated through virtual production spaces and clustering for the creative industries North and South. The project is a collaboration between Galway City Council, Derry City and Strabane Council, University of Ulster, Atlantic Technological University, the Western Development Commission in partnership with Creative Enterprise West and Galway Culture Company. Funding received will be spent on securing a project manager and research assistant, developing pilot projects and facilitating research events both North and South, and supporting activities.
While Galway Culture Company is part of the project, it does not have a formal reporting relationship to my Department. That responsibility lies with Galway City Council in respect of this project. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions and the discharge of their governance and other responsibilities.
Further details of the project are available on Galway City Council's website www.galwaycity.ie/news/2789/59/Galway-City-Council-Galway-Culture-Company-awarded-300K-for-two-exciting-cross-border-collaborations-that-will-directly-support-the-arts-in-Galway-/d,News%20Detail
