€1.9m in further funds announced for struggling artists

The Arts Council has been granted an additional €1.9m in funding, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD has announced.

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.

The Arts Council recently announced investment of €7 million in 530 artists across Ireland through its Bursary 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.

The Arts Council has been the Government’s predominant medium through which funds are allocated to artists around the country.

This further funding is aimed at assisting artists who have been hardest hit by the pandemic.

Commenting on the announcement, 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.