The Arts Council today (Wednesday) said it would invest over €210,000 in Clare-based organisations with a proven track record of delivering great arts experiences for people all over the county and beyond.
A total of four organisations successfully applied for funding. Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy is a nationally significant event, involving the transmission of all aspects of the traditional arts, with an emphasis on high quality tuition. It also provides multiple opportunities for the public to engage in the traditional arts.
Glór Irish Music Centre is an arts resource for Ennis and Clare. It produces work with network partners and hosts multi-disciplinary touring work. It organises a programme of arts engagement with the community.
Clare County Council will also receive a grant of €63,000 for its arts service.
In addition to this support, the Arts Council will be making significant funding available throughout the year for touring, projects and bursaries for talented artists.
The Arts Council, the government agency tasked with supporting, developing and funding the arts, saw the level of its own exchequer grant maintained this year for the first time since 2009. The council said it anticipated future increases in investment, and was was mindful in its allocations to help position the arts to benefit from, and play a full part in, the national recovery.
Arts Council chair, Sheila Pratschke said, “The arts mean so much to us in this country; they are our most popular pursuit; they define our identity and they shape our communities. I am delighted to announce that the Arts Council will continue to support the arts in Clare over the coming year.”
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.