The Arts and Disability Connect scheme is designed to support artists with disabilities to be ambitious, to develop their practice and to connect with arts organisations and arts professionals in Ireland.  

The Arts Council and Arts & Disability Ireland (ADI) are delighted to announce that €55,220 has been awarded to 12 artists through New Work awards, Research and Reflection awards, Mentoring awards and a Training award as part of Round One in 2024. 

Read more about each recipient on the ADI website here: Arts and Disability Connect Funding Announcement for Round One 2024 | News | Arts & Disability Ireland (adiarts.ie)

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The Arts Council, the Irish government agency for developing the arts, is pleased to announce its Visual Artists Workspace Scheme decisions for 2023. The scheme supports artists’ workspaces throughout the country to provide the best possible working environment for visual artists and, where feasible, to enable a level of subsidy for the artists working within these spaces.

Funding totaling €695,774 will be distributed to 30 studios/workspaces across 13 counties across the country. This funding will support facilities for 950 individual practicing visual artists across Ireland. This is an increase on 839 individuals and €460,000 funding in 2022, which represents a 50% year on year.

Of the 30 studios and workspaces, three new organisations established in 2022 have received a contribution for 2023: ^ (caret), Leitrim, “an Chead Tine” Art Organisation, Kilkenny, The Gentian Press, Co. Clare. There are also five new applicants to this scheme who will receive funding for 2023 (including the three referenced above): ^ (caret), Leitrim, “an Chead Tine” Art Organisation, Kilkenny, Burgh Quay Studios, Dublin, Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Co. Louth, The Gentian Press, Co. Clare.

Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said: “Artists need good spaces to work in and the studios/workspaces supported through this scheme represent a key component of the critical infrastructure for the visual arts nationally. I’m delighted that we can increase our support by over 50% this year compared to the 2022 funding amount. The scheme, combined with a number of studio and workspace facilities supported through Strategic Funding and Arts Grants, is one of many important funding supports that the Arts Council provides for visual artists working in Ireland today. Supporting existing workspaces like this is part of our bigger vision which includes the development of a campus for artists at Odlums Flour Mills, a groundbreaking project we’re currently working on with Dublin Port and Grafton Architects.”

In line with Making Great Art Work, the Arts Council’s strategy in leading the development of the arts in Ireland, this scheme offers grants of up to a maximum of €50,000 towards the running costs of visual artists’ workspaces.

Previously the scheme had a cap of €40,000 for applicants. This increased limit acknowledges the rising core costs associated with building-based facilities, such as energy, light and heat. This scheme will provide artist groups and organisations with vital support towards the cost of running their artists workspaces, at a time when artists across Ireland struggle to find and maintain suitable workspaces due to rising costs, short term and insecure tenancy agreements.

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The long-established London-based Clore Leadership Programme aims to develop the knowledge, skills and experience of potential leaders in the arts, across a wide range of cultural activity. As part of the programme Fellows participate in a number of activities including: intensive residential leadership courses; professional development through mentoring, tuition and group learning; an in-depth research project, supervised by a Higher Education Institute; and a period of secondment, with experience of managing a challenging project. 

This year two Irish artists have been awarded this prestigious placement and have been welcomed to the 19th cohort of Clore Fellows. The Arts Council is immensely proud to support these dynamic change-makers, artist, curator and producer Alan James Burns and independent theatre and performance maker Louise White.

Alan James Burns: Awarded the Arts Council Ireland Fellowship supported by the Arts Council

Alan is an artist, curator and producer creating interactive, socially engaged and site-specific projects reflecting on subjects of disability, well-being and the climate emergency. These highly collaborative projects include ‘Augmented Body, Altered Mind’ 2022, ‘The Waking Walls | Caoineadh Dúlra’ 2023 and ‘Entirely hollow aside from the dark’ 2016-2019.  

Burns is co-directing and co-producing ‘Disrupt Disability Arts Festival’ launching online and across Dublin in March 2024. His projects have been funded by the Arts Council, Arts and Disability Ireland, Arts Council England, European Commission, Cavan Arts, Fingal Arts, Culture Ireland and Creative Ireland.  

Louise White: awarded the Jerome Hynes Fellowship supported by Arts Council Ireland

Louise is an independent theatre and performance maker celebrating 15 years’ practice. Her work asks questions about community and the contemporary moment. Recent work includes Animals; a large-scale work based on Orwell’s Animal Farm (Dublin Theatre Festival), and Sing Your Failures; a participatory performance about failure (Cork Midsummer Festival). 

Her projects are always interdisciplinary and collaborative. She has worked with a diverse array of performers including dancers, opera singers, visual artists, chefs, composers, actors, children and older people. Louise is also a facilitator and educator and leads creative engagements with communities and groups in a variety of contexts. 

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