Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, and Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport, Eamon Ryan, launched a €3 million creative climate action fund to support imaginative creative projects that build awareness around climate change and empower citizens to make meaningful behavioural changes.
Applications for the scheme will open in December 2022 at www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/ www.creativeireland.gov.ie
The successful teams will include experts from the climate science, community engagement as well as the arts and culture sectors.
The ‘Creative Climate Action II: Agents of Change’ programme is a joint initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
The programme is calling for creative projects which address the following:
- Encourage everyone to rethink their lifestyles
- Connect with the biodiversity crisis
- Enable a fair and just transition in making lifestyle changes
- Assist citizens to understand the climate crisis
- Adapt to the effects of climate change
There are two funding strands:
1.Spark
This strand is for those looking to pilot a new idea, or who want to deliver a creative project at a local level. Organisations, community groups and creative groups who can inspire, build knowledge, skills and confidence are welcome to apply for grants between €20,000 and €50,000.
2.Ignite
This funding strand is suitable for those with experience in delivering public engagement projects at scale, and are proposing durational projects with extensive public participation. Applicants may be eligible for grants between €50,000 and €250,000.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, said, “in 2021 Ireland’s Climate Action Plan outlined the steps that needed to be taken to create a more sustainable future for Ireland. That plan was ambitious and called on all sectors of society including the creative community to play their part in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. I am proud that the Irish government has such an explicit link between national cultural policy and climate policy. The first Creative Climate Action projects have done much to capture the public imagination, mobilise communities and show how to make the changes needed. Climate change is humanity’s most important challenge and we need creative projects such as these to galvanise positive action.”
Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, said, “significant cultural and systemic change across all of society is needed to address the climate crisis. This change can only be achieved through fully exploring avenues for innovative and creative ways to inspire people to take action. The cultural sector has a unique part to play in this culture change and I look forward to seeing the exciting ways projects funded through the next phase of the Creative Climate Action Programme will engage people.”
