Cork County Council has today (8th March 2010) awarded a total of €164,000 under the Arts Grant Scheme 2010. The grants have been given to 135 different groups and individual artists in County Cork.
Welcoming the allocations, Cllr. John Paul O’ Shea (Ind) said “the commitment of Cork County Council to allocate grants to these deserving projects is indeed a very positive move. The variety of such innovative arts that have been allocated funding here today represents the talent and commitment of all community groups and individual artists in the county”.
The Arts Grant Scheme supports arts activities and events at local or county level. These activities and events are developed by local artistic individuals or local service providers such as youth organisatons, schools, special need services and organisations working with older people. Community and voluntary groups also play a huge role in promoting the arts in the county. Activity such as Drama, Community Arts, Visual Arts, Choirs, Pipe/Brass Bands and festivals which are all largely driven by voluntary efforts are also strongly represented among the allocations approved today.
Among the allocations announced today are:
- The Village Arts Centre, Kilworth (Annual events) – €4,500
- Friends of Dunmanway Day Care Centre (Drama project) – €1,000
- CloghroeNationalSchool (Visual Arts project)- €1,500
- Mallow Choir (Purchase of piano) – €900
- Arts Alliance, Mallow (Concerts) – €1,000
- Laharn Community Action Group (Open Air Cross Roads Dancing) – €500
- North Cork Classical Music Festival (Variety of concerts in church buildings) – €1,500
- Feile Duthalla 2010 (Art festival in November 2010) – €1,000
- Kanturk & District Community Council Arts Festival – €600
- Mallow “Racing Home for Easter” Festival – €500
- Newmarket Pipe Band – €350
- Include me in Kaleidoscope Mallow (Development of new theatre piece) – €1,800
- Cope Foundation (Performing Arts Festival) – €1,800
- Cuisle Avondhu Cultural Centre (Centre’s activities including support for employment of traditional singer) – €500
- Freemount Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Eireann (Willie Dunne weekend) – €400
- Mallow Art Club (Location painting initiative) – €150
Cllr. O’ Shea added “The allocations today represents a decrease on the 2009 allocation however, even in these difficult economic times, it is heartening that Cork County Council is in a position to provide financial assistance to support the wide range of arts projects throughout Cork.
I will be urging Cork County Council to look ahead to 2011 with a positive view that arts activities and events are a key for us all to get through these tough economic times. At a time where we see more and more people who are unfortunately unemployed and subsequently having more time on their hands, we need to encourage people to get involved in their respective communities. The only way of doing this is by supporting financially our Arts Schemes and our other community based schemes such as the Community, Recreation & Amenity Grant Schemes accordingly” said Cllr. O’ Shea.
