The Arts Council has supported more than twice as many artists with bursaries and other individual grants so far this year, the government agency for funding and developing the arts said today.

As part of its response to Covid-19, the agency said it has already this year awarded €7.9 million in Bursary and Agility Awards to over 900 artists across the country, with another round due to open for applications on 10 August. There were 411 first time recipients amongst the successful applicants.“The pandemic has hit the arts sector particularly hard. Many individual artists found themselves unable to make a living, and without even the resources to develop their practice,” said Arts Council Director Maureen Kennelly. “Our response has been to more than double the number of grants we would usually award in bursary and other individual schemes. As Ireland emerges from the pandemic, audiences all over Ireland will benefit from the work these artists will make.”

The Arts Council has been offering bursaries to artists for many years. Among those who have received an award at some point in their career are Frankie Gavin; Cormac Begley; Paul Murray; Sarah Crossan and Sally Rooney.

The purpose of the award is to support professional artists at any stage of their career to develop their art practice. It provides artists with the time and resources to think, research, reflect and critically engage with their art.

Recipients can receive up to a maximum of €20,000 in some art forms. The average amount awarded in this round was €13,160.

In addition, the Arts Council had introduced a new scheme, the Agility Award, designed to support individual professional freelance artists and arts workers at any stage in their careers. This award was developed to support people following the COVID-19 crisis and is open to all.

The Arts Council particularly welcome new applicants and encourage applications from all areas of the community regardless of gender, sexual orientation, civil or family status, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller Community, or socio-economic background.

Applicants can receive up to €5,000 and may use the grant to develop their practice, develop their work, develop their skills, create new work, or present new work.

The next round of the Agility Award opens for applications on 10 August on the Arts Council’s website.

Further information:
Joe Stuart: 087 410 8451

A full list of successful Agility award applicants is available here.

A full list of successful Bursary applicants is available here.

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