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THE Kerry County Council Arts Grants application process is now open for projects and activities taking place in 2019.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 1pm Thursday, December 13 2018. Under the Arts Act 2003, funding is allocated to individuals or groups where activities, projects and undertakings stimulate public interest in the arts, promote knowledge and appreciation of the arts and improve the standards of practice in the arts.
“Funding to support the arts is crucial,” stated Norma Foley, Cathaoirleach, Kerry County Council, ‘my colleagues at Council fully recognise that funding the arts is an investment in our communities, our culture, and our ability to communicate creatively at many levels.”
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The Arts Service at Kerry County Council oversees the application and selection process and prioritises spend on arts activities that reflect the following strategic policy areas:
• Youth Arts and Arts in Education initiatives
• Supports to Artists in terms of career and arts practice development, promoting Kerry as a place to both create and show work.
• Strategic Partnerships that will better develop the arts locally.
In accordance with the core values of Kerry County Council’s Arts Strategy 2016 – 2021, priority will be given to festivals, events and activities that seek funding for the paid involvement participation/mentorship/direction of professional artists.
Individual Artist Bursary Awards support the artistic work development of artists based in Kerry. There are five different Bursary categories:
1. Artists’ Retreat
2. Purchase of Materials and Equipment
3. Creative Work Development
4. Further Arts Education
5. Eamon Kelly Bursary (Killarney Municipal District only)
These bursaries offer support for the artist across a wide range of areas and applications are open to artists with significant track records in their chosen discipline.
There is also a number of Artist in Schools Awards which support schools who wish to give children and young people the opportunity to work with professional artists on a specific project that enhances the curriculum without replacing the work of the curriculum.
Kate Kennelly, Arts Officer at Kerry County Council encourages anyone seeking support for arts activities in 2019 to send in their applications on time as late applications cannot be accepted.
Application forms are online at www.kerrycoco.ie/home3/arts/arts-forms/ and additional information and support throughout the application process is available by contacting the Arts Office on 066 7183541 or emailarts@kerrycoco.ie
Most artists just don’t bother?
The amount of hoops an artist has to jump through or red tape involved to qualify, just to keep some overpaid Kerry County Council administrator employment with very specific paperwork and of course meetings, is it worth the time!
For a lot of artists, is just easier to stop practicing art for some time. Until you can practice fully independently.
There is a lot of artists that fall by the waste side due to this type of so called parasitic support.
Ireland has to have less Irish art from a whole segment of a generation due to this.
Sadly, the future generations will just have to miss out.
Only God knows how many contemporary Irish art works never got created because of this type of narrow support with its “strategic policy”. LOL.