Invitation to Collaboration supports regional and national initiatives in the field of local-authority-led arts development. The scheme is rooted in the policies set out in the Arts Council’s ten-year strategy (2016-2025), Making Great Art Work: Leading the Development of the Arts in Ireland (0.22 MB), and in A Framework for Collaboration: An Agreement Between the Arts Council and the County and City Management Association (1.5MB, PDF). The emphasis is placed on supporting partnerships that focus on developing projects, resources or services that are ambitious and are testing new ground. The following projects were funded in 2016: 

Creative Mentoring for Festivals
Lead applicant: Kerry County Council with Cork City and County Council’s 

The project will focus on Mid May Arts Festival in Middleton, Listowel Writers week, Cork Puppet Festival, KFest, Mallow Arts Festival and Cork Folk Festival to develop new models of engaging with the public, grow and strengthen audiences, develop family friendly content and to develop each festival's visibility. 

Sliabh Luachra Music Trail
Lead applicant: Cork County Council with Kerry County Council and Limerick City and County Council

This is a partnership project between the local authorities and music partners in the Sliabh Luachra area such as festivals, venues, musicians and tutors to grow active participation from both musicians and audiences in the unique traditional music style that is Sliabh Luachra. Central to the project is research to document and preserve this unique cultural heritage.  

Cúinne an Ghiorria / The Hare’s Corner
Lead applicant: Ealain na Gaeltachta with Donegal County and Galway City Council 

The Hare’s Corner will give Irish language artists the opportunity to focus on drama and performance in the Gaeltacht, by providing a space for them to work together, to strengthen the voices of Irish-language dramatists and to increase the competence and standard of performances amongst Irish-language and Gaeltacht drama companies. 

Cultural Diversity
Lead applicant: Mayo County Council with Donegal and South Dublin County Council's

The partners are seeking to further develop and expand their cultural diversity provision by developing internal supports, supporting artists from diverse backgrounds and those wishing to work in intercultural contexts, creating awareness and capacity within cultural infrastructure in their counties. They will work with organisations such as the Mary Robinson Centre, Donegal Intercultural Platform, South Dublin Partnership alongside national partners Create, New Communities Partnership and the Irish Refugee Council. 

Exploring and Thinking
Lead applicant: South Dublin County Council with Dublin City, Fingal and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

The four Dublin local authorities propose to collaborate and present an ambitious early years artwork for children and families, which will be initially presented at Space Invaders International Early Years Arts Festival (in Farmleigh) and will be toured to various venues and child care contexts in the Dublin region. The project places children and young people at the heart of cultural provision in Dublin. 

Take A Part, Carlow
Lead applicant Carlow County Council with Take A Part Plymouth 

This project will work with a UK partner to develop a series of projects and opportunities with local socially engaged artists. The model is about community audience development through contemporary art, working directly with harder to reach communities in a long-term process of engagement. Over 18 months they will work with art and artists through co-commissioning processes by risk taking, provoking and engaging communities to establish and respond to local agenda and needs. Artists include Michael Fortune, (Ire), Sarah Clancy (Ire) Mark Vernon (Scotland) Sophie Hope (UK), Darren O'Donnell (Ger), Owen Griffith (Wales) and Anne Marie Culhane (UK).