Arts Council funding of €491,000 announced

 

The Arts Council has announced funding of €491,000 for four organisations in Meath including Ballet Ireland, The Gallery Press, Solstice Arts Centre and Duffy’s Circus.
The funding comes through the Arts Council’s three main annual grants programmes. In addition, people in Meath will enjoy the arts through Arts Council funding for touring, projects and bursaries for talented artists throughout the year.
The organisations to receive annual funding from the Arts Council for the period to the end of March 2014 are: Ballet Ireland, €240,000; Duffy’s Circus, €36,000; Solstice Arts Centre, €65,000; The Gallery Press, €150,000.
In 2013, the Gallery Press will again publish an exciting and diverse number of poetry collections and plays from world renowned poets and playwrights.
Solstice Arts Centre promises an impressive series of events, with the very best of visual art, music, theatre, dance, literature, film and children’s events.
In 2013, Summerhill based Ballet Ireland will have major new productions such as ‘Cinderella: After the Ball’ and ‘Carmen’. The organisation will also have workshops for participating national schools which will take place in 2013 along with an annual summer school.
The Arts Council is also supporting Meath County Council’s arts programme, Duffy’s Circus and Tall Tales Theatre Company.
The Chairman of the Arts Council Pat Moylan said: “We are delighted to be able to continue supporting and developing the arts in Meath. For over 60 years the Arts Council has been at the forefront of developing and promoting the arts and even with reduced funding, the Arts Council continues to build a central place for the arts in Irish life.”
“Despite that funding to the arts has been cut by around 30 per cent since 2008, we recognise that work of the Arts Council produces an important social dividend that positively impacts on the quality of life of citizens across the country. Not only this, but the arts play a vital role in our economy, especially in job creation and tourism. Therefore, we see it as vital to areas such as Meath and other areas across the country that support for the arts is maintained,” he added.

Mr Moylan said that as teh year progresses, the Arts Council will be announcing further funding to  individual artists and to groups undertaking projects, festivals and other events.