New funding scheme for arts and cultural centres launched

The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, has announced a new €4.7m capital investment scheme for arts and culture centres. 
It will run from 2019-2022 and focus on enhancing the existing stock of arts and culture centres throughout the country. It will also prioritise carbon footprint reduction in line with the Government's action on climate change. 
The Scheme builds on the success of the former Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018 which saw 134 organisations in 26 counties receive funding to refurbish and enhance their arts and culture facilities.
Organisations to have benefitted include Galway’s Townhall Theatre, An Taibhdhearc and Glenmaddy Arts & Historical Co-operative Society, The Abbey Arts and Cultural Centre in Ballyshannon in Co. Donegal, Letterkenny’s An Grianán Theatre as well as The National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dún Laoghaire and The Graphic Studio Dublin, Ireland’s oldest fine art print studio.
Robert Russell, Director of The Graphic Studio in Dublin said:
“The funds have allowed us to offer professional screen printing facilities to a much broader range of studio users, to expand our public outreach and education programmes, and attract new members, especially newly graduated artists.”
Applications to the new scheme will open from Friday 25th October and close on 7th January 2020. 
The funding  is part of the Department’s commitment to a €40m capital investment in local arts and culture infrastructure nationwide contained in Project Ireland 2040  “Investing in our Culture, Language & Heritage 2018-2027.  
Applications are being invited under three separate Streams as set out below. 
* Stream A will offer grants up to €50,000 for small enhancement/expansion/ refurbishment projects which may involve construction works to arts and culture facilities and/or upgrading of equipment.   
* Stream B will offer grants from €50,000 up to €300,000 for larger enhancement /expansion/ refurbishment projects involving construction works to arts and culture facilities.  
* Stream C will be a separate scheme aimed at the upgrading of visual artists' workspaces. Applications for this Stream will be invited separately. 
Minister Madigan said “this new Scheme builds on the success of the former Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018.   In line with the Government's action on climate change, this scheme will prioritise projects that reduce an organisation's carbon footprint and 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." 
Further information on the Streams A & B of the proposed Cultural Capital Scheme 2019 – 2022 will be available on the Department’s website at https://www.chg.gov.ie/arts/creative-arts/grants-and-funding/  from Friday 25 October 2019.