The Arts Council is offering an expansion on bursary awards through two revitalised trust funds in Visual Art, Literature and Music beginning with Bursary Round 2, available on Tuesday 21 May, 2024. These additional awards valued at approximately €20,000 per bursary are made possible through the Marten Toonder and W.J.B. Macaulay Trust Funds.    

A total of 18 Bursaries will be awarded, beginning in 2024 and culminating in 2030. This means an additional 3 bursaries per year; one in Visual Art, one in Literature and one in Music. The Literary Bursary will alternate each year between an Irish language and English language bursary. The 2024 Bursary will be awarded for Irish language literature. 

Director of the Arts Council, Maureen Kennelly said:

“The Arts Council is thrilled to announce the expansion of our bursary programme, made possible through the generous support of the Marten Toonder and W.J.B. Macaulay Trust Funds. Implemented over the next six years, these 18 additional awards mark a significant investment in the vitality of our artistic communities. By providing increased support in Visual Art, Literature, and Music, we will further encourage artistic activity across Ireland. This initiative reflects our commitment to nurturing artistic excellence and diversity, ensuring that the individual artist has access to increased supports.”    

Applications for the Bursaries will open on Tuesday 21 May. Full details on how to apply and how the funds will offered can be found in the guidelines: https://www.artscouncil.ie/available-funding/

For any queries on any of the three bursaries, please contact Karen Hennessy at Karen.Hennessy@artscouncil.ie  

←Return to the news