Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has announced awards in capital grants of over €1.46m to eleven arts and culture organisations for upgrading and development of their facilities. This funding is provided under Stream B of the Cultural Capital Scheme 2019-2022 that is part of an overall €4.7m capital investment scheme in the arts and culture infrastructure around the country.
The funding is being made available under the National Development Plan, Project Ireland 2040. Investing in our Culture, Language & Heritage 2018 – 2027 sets out the Government’s objectives for capital investment in Ireland’s culture, language and heritage. The Cultural Capital Scheme 2019-2022 will run until 2022 and will focus on enhancing the existing stock of arts and culture centres throughout the country.
In line with the Government’s action on climate change, this scheme prioritises projects that reduce an organisation’s carbon footprint that will make a real and positive impact on the environment. Projects that provide additional capacity for artists and artistic production particularly in arts centres will also be favoured. This new Scheme which has four separate streams of funding, builds on the success of the former Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018.
Speaking about the grants, Minister Martin said, “I am delighted to be in a position to award this funding today to these arts and culture organisations. This capital scheme prioritises projects that reduce an organisation’s carbon footprint.”
“This is in line with the Government’s action on climate change and I’m delighted that the funding for some of these projects will make a real and positive impact on the environment. Projects that provide additional capacity for artists and artistic production particularly in arts centres were also favoured.”
“This investment at a range of different facilities including arts centres, theatres, galleries, museums, as well as artists’ studios and creative spaces aims to improve the audience and creative experience while upgrading the facilities. This overall funding package will ensure past investment in these arts and cultural centres is protected and sustained.”
“The funding being announced today is in addition to my earlier allocations of funding under this Scheme in December together with funding to visual artist workspaces and Stream D funding which is specifically for capital adaptations or equipment necessary to assist arts organisations in re-opening safely after COVID-19. Today’s announcement will bring the total awarded under this Scheme to date to almost €2.5m. Further funding under this Scheme will follow in due course. I wish these arts and culture facilities continued success in the future”.
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