Although overall funding for the Arts has increased in 2019. Trying to secure Arts funding is still a competitive and daunting task. Below is a guide to Irish Arts funding with links to some of the top arts organisations providing funding for the arts in Ireland.
1. The Arts Council of Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland is the Irish Government body that’s tasked with the mission of championing and developing the arts in Ireland. Any artists, venues or arts organisations working within the sector can apply for funding. The Arts Council's mission is to make the arts a central part of Irish life.
According to The Irish Times, arts council funding increased by 10% for 2019 bringing the total budget to €75 million. Minister Josepha Madigan said the increases were “tangible evidence of the importance attached to our cultural and creative heritage under Project Ireland 2040 and demonstrated the Government’s commitment to double arts and culture spending by 2025".
The Arts Council has funding opportunities for Architecture, Circus, Dance, Film, Literature, Music, Opera, Street arts and spectacle, Theatre, Traditional arts, Visual arts, Cross artform practices, Arts participation, Festivals, Local arts, Touring, Venues, Young people, children and education and Strategic development.
Applications for funding can be made online through the Arts Councils website you can also sign up to their mailing list HERE to stay up to date with their latest funding opportunities.
2. Dublin City Arts Office
The Dublin City Arts Office is part of Dublin City Council’s Culture Recreation Amenity and Community Department. Part of their remit is to support artists and cultural organisations and also to develop arts audiences in Dublin City. Dublin City Arts Office offers a number of Funding Opportunities for artists during the year with the objective of stimulating public interested the the arts, promoting knowledge and improving the standard of the arts within Dublin City. Ultimately they're making the arts a fundamental part of the city’s identity.
For the latest funding opportunities from Dublin City Arts Office, you can visit their website.
3. Business to Arts
‘Business to Arts’ is a charitable organisation that builds creative partnerships between the art world and business. They work to pair the business community up with arts organisations and artists to develop potential sponsorship and commissioning projects. Their corporate membership base is spread across the business community from local family-run companies, SMEs, semi-state companies to FDIs and corporate foundations.
To view current opportunities from Business to Arts you can visit their website.
4. Fundit
An initiative of Business to Arts ‘Fund it’ is a crowdfunding platform for the arts in Ireland. Fund it supports the arts by providing a platform which facilitates the pre-sales of creative projects. The organisation or individual sets up their own profile on the website with awards based on how much funders donate to a particular project.
To set your project up on Fundit you can visit their website.
5. Culture Ireland
Culture Ireland promotes Irish arts worldwide. They create and support opportunities for Irish artists and companies to present and promote their work at international festivals and venues. They develop platforms to present Irish work to international audiences, through showcases at key global arts events, including the Edinburgh Festivals and the Venice Biennales. Culture Ireland offers financial support for Irish artists, arts organisations and cultural practitioners to present and promote their work internationally at venues and festivals and to participate in international networking events.
For the latest funding awards available from Culture Ireland you can visit their website here
6. The Ireland Funds
Over the last 40 years, The Ireland Funds has supported over 3,200 non-profit organizations working in Ireland, many of which are projects within the Arts & Culture sector. In addition to facilitating a significant number of Donor Advised Grants, The Ireland Funds also operate two competitive grant rounds each year—the Small Grant Round and the Flagship Grant Round. They also provide non-financial support including grant workshops, fundraising advice and training.
To view the latest grants available from The Ireland Funds visit their website
7. Create
Create is the national development agency for collaborative arts in social and community contexts. Their mission is to provide advice and support services to artists and arts organisations working collaboratively with communities in social and community contexts. They support artists who wish to make exceptional art within communities in the broadest sense and encourage ways of making art that take place primarily outside of the traditional gallery or theatre space.
For the latest funding opportunities from Create, you can visit their website
8. Ealaín na Gaeltachta
Ealaín na Gaeltachta promotes the development of contemporary and traditional arts in the Gaeltacht and is a joint venture between Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Arts Council. Ealaín na Gaeltachta provides services and grant schemes that support the development of arts organisations and individual artists. They also support training and mentoring.
To view the latest funding awards from Ealaín na Gaeltachta you can visit their website.
9. Percent for Art scheme
The Per Cent for Art scheme is a government initiative, first introduced in 1978, whereby 1% of the cost of any publicly funded capital, infrastructural and building development can be allocated to the commissioning of a work of art. Since 1997 this scheme has been made available to all capital projects across all government departments. The Per Cent for Art Scheme budget is ring-fenced i.e. it is only available for artworks and not for any other purpose such as an architectural improvement or design feature or landscaping, etc.
For the latest public art tenders visit you can visit the public art website
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