Cork County Council has launched its new 5-year Creative Ireland Culture and Creativity Strategy 2023-2027. The Creative Ireland programme aims to create pathways to a wide range of creative and cultural possibilities, connecting individuals and communities and encouraging people of all ages to discover their personal creative potential.
Launching the Strategy, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins said, “since its introduction in 2017, the Creative Ireland programme has enriched the lives of many communities and individuals in Cork County. We are fortunate to have a rich and vibrant cultural and creative sector that contributes enormously to our sense of identity and to the quality of life we as citizens enjoy. This can be seen in the many arts festivals that take place in every part of the county annually, in the extraordinary level of artistic production, the extensive cultural heritage that has been preserved and the level of individual and communal engagement in the arts. This new strategy aims to further enhance our understanding of the transformative power of culture and creativity and to set out various paths through which we can work for the betterment of the communities we live in.”
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey welcomed the new creative plan for the county, “Cork County Council has fully embraced the Creative Ireland Programme since its inception. In doing so, we have seen how the Creative Ireland proposition connects to and complements the work that we do. We are closely connected to the communities we serve through our Elected Members and the services we provide. We have seen the value and returns generated by strategic investment in arts, culture, heritage, and community development. Our goal as a local authority is to make Cork County an attractive place to live, work, visit and invest in, and a thriving cultural and creative ecosystem is a very important component in this work. The Council, in partnership with Creative Ireland, will fully support the implementation of this exciting new strategy over the next five years.”
There will be many opportunities for the people of Cork to get involved with the Creative Ireland programme over the coming five years. Funding opportunities such as the Creative Community Project Scheme, the Creative Community Networks Scheme and the Creative Space Start-up scheme are now open for applications.
The Creative Community Project Scheme 2023 will support local communities and the creative sector in developing and delivering an innovative project, event or initiative that will help stimulate creativity in the community.
The Community Creative Networks Scheme will establish and work with Community Creative Networks (CCN) in Cork County towns. These networks will bring together interested parties such as community and voluntary groups, members of the business community, special interest groups, artists, makers and others who wish to develop and deliver on a shared, inclusive, cultural and creative vision for the betterment of their local areas.
The Creative Start-up Scheme supports artists, designers, and craftspeople to establish retail spaces in which to sell their work, while supporting the Council in revitalising commercial centres in towns and villages.
Applications for the Community Creative Projects and Community Creative Networks schemes will close on the 26th of March 2023, while the deadline for the Creative Space Start-up scheme is the 7th of April 2023.
Source: Cork County Council
