In this month's newsletter, the Arts Council welcomes the new Laureate na n-Óg, Niamh Sharkey. The position and honour -- Ireland’s laureate for children’s literature -- was established to engage young people with high quality work for young people and to underline the importance of children’s literature in our cultural and imaginative life. Niamh Sharkey, one of the country’s most popular authors and illustrators, received her Laureate na n-Óg medal from the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, at a special event the Arts Council’s offices at 70 Merrion Square, Dublin.

We provide notification of upcoming deadlines. The deadline for the next round of Bursary Awards is Thursday 12 July, 2012 at 5.30pm. The Arts Council provides the Bursary Award to assist artists in the development of their arts practice. We will be hosting information clinics for Bursary awards. The clinics will offer advice and information on the application process to artists interested in applying for the Bursary Awards. We also bring to your attention the Arts and Disability Awards Scheme 2012, with the deadline for applications set for 4pm on Wednesday 15 August 2012. Also, the Local Partnership Scheme (Cultural Diversity and the Arts strand); the closing date for receipt of applications to this scheme is Thursday 28 June 2012 at 5.30pm.

We include decisions: The Arts Council has announced details of successful recipients under round two of the Small Festivals Scheme for 2012. Also, we report the decisions from the First Round 2012, Artist in the Community Scheme, managed by Create.

We have a wealth of news from Arts Audiences. This includes that ‘Here and Now’ has come to the end of its first year; information about Google & the Arts, a day-long Information session and clinic on 20 July; and more on the Audience Development Programme 2012.

And we celebrate Lá Ceoil: Music Network in association with RTÉ lyric fm presents Lá Ceoil, a free concert on Thursday 21 June, as part of the love:live music celebrations for International Music Day.

The newsletter rounds off with our regular articles on News from the Arts Community and international opportunities from the (CCP) Cultural Contact Point.

Orlaith McBride,

Director, Arts Council

President Michael D. Higgins announced author and illustrator Niamh Sharkey as Laureate na nÓg, Ireland’s laureate for children’s literature, presenting her with the Laureate na nÓg medal at a special event at the Arts Council.

The Arts Council provides Bursary Awards in order to support professional artists in the development of their art practice. The Arts Council will hold a number of information clinics to offer advice and information on the awards and the application process.

Managed by the Arts & Disability Forum on behalf of the two Arts Councils of this island, the Arts & Disability Awards Ireland scheme is a dedicated tool to support individual deaf or disabled artists.

A Scheme to encourage new, local authority-led partnerships to develop innovative, collaborative arts projects in the area of Cultural Diversity and the Arts.

The Arts Council has announced details of successful recipients under round two of the Small Festivals Scheme for 2012. This specific funding programme is aimed at small locally-based events and festivals that have requested funding from the Council of up to €20,000.

In the First Round 2012 in the Arts Council Artist in the Community Scheme, managed by Create, will fund one Long Term and four Short Term Project Realisation awards and 12 awards for Research and Development, five of which are with Mentoring.

Here and Now Seminar has come to the end of its first year. Google & the Arts – Day long Information Session & Clinic, 20 July. Marketing a Tour – a 3 day module is underway for those in receipt of The Arts Council’s Touring and Dissemination of Work Scheme July – December 2012. Audience Development Programme 2012.

Music Network in association with RTÉ lyric fm presents Lá Ceoil, a FREE concert on Thursday 21 June as part of the love:live music celebrations for International Music Day.

The Irish Journal of Arts and Cultural Management, a non-profit, peer reviewed e-journal publishing new Irish research in the sector. Based at UCD, the journal will be published twice yearly and will be edited by Pat Cooke (UCD), Kerry McCall (IADT) and Emily Mark-Fitzgerald (UCD). The first issue will be published in the autumn of 2012.

News from the Cultural Contact Point includes: Creative Europe EU Funding Seminar in Bray hosted by Nessa Childers MEP. This seminar is primarily designed for those working in community arts and culture groups who are interested in looking at EU funding opportunities. Creative Encounters 2012-2013 Call for Proposals. The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and its partners are supporting new artistic and networking collaborations in the framework of the Creative Encounters: Cultural Partnerships between Asia and Europe 2012-2013 programme. Theatre Forum Annual Conference. The main objective of this all-Ireland conference is to enhance networking among artists and arts practitioners throughout the island of Ireland.