Siobhán Parkinson became Ireland's first laureate for children’s literature this month (Laureate na nÓg).  President Mary McAleese presented her with the Laureate na nÓg medal at a special event held at the Arts Council. The Arts Council is proud to initiate Ireland’s first laureate for children’s literature, which will be managed on our behalf by Children’s Books Ireland. In this month's newsletter we provide you with more information on the role, and include Siobhán Parkinson's first interview as the Laureate. 

The Arts Council announces details of the successful recipients under round two of the Small Festivals Scheme for 2010 and we have information on the upcoming deadline for the Bursary Award, round 2. 

We also include a call for applications for a pilot scheme from Arts Audiences which will select three projects to receive structured support and monitoring from industry professionals; the scheme asks for organisations who may have similar audiences to partner-up and devise straightforward and low-cost methods to expand their audience.  Arts Audiences also makes available three reports from the recipients of the New Media Mentoring Scheme and publishes the Guide to Marketing Your Production on Tour, a report resulting from the Build Your Audience scheme.

The Ireland Chair of Poetry's bursary recipient for 2010 is selected. We are delighted to announce that the Arts Council's recently launched online services system has been voted IT project of the year (public sector) in the ICT Excellence Awards. There is also a note reminding subscribers of the public art website (www.publicart.ie), which provides information for artists working in the public sphere.

We finish off the newsletter with our regular articles on news from the arts community and international opportunities from the Cultural Contact Point.

President Mary McAleese announced Siobhán Parkinson as Laureate na nÓg, Ireland’s first laureate for children’s literature, presenting her with the Laureate na nÓg medal at a special event at the Arts Council.

The Arts Council has announced details of the successful recipients under round two of the Small Arts Festivals Scheme for 2010.

The deadline for the second round of Bursary Awards for 2010 is Thursday 15 July, 2010 at 5.30pm.

Arts Audiences is carrying out a pilot project to initiate and co-ordinate formal co-operation between arts organisations.

Arts Audiences makes available three reports from the recipients of the New Media Mentoring Scheme. Also this month, Arts Audiences publishes the Guide to Marketing Your Production on Tour, a report resulting from the Build Your Audience scheme.

The trustees of the Ireland Chair of Poetry recently named Miriam Gamble as the recipient of the 2010 Ireland Chair of Poetry bursary.

The Arts Council's recently launched online services system has been voted IT Project of the Year (Public Sector) in the ICT Excellence Awards.

This recently established website provides information for artists working in the public sphere.

News from the arts community in May includes: a call for visual artists for exhibitions in Courthouse Arts Centre; Temple Bar Gallery and Studios announce the recipients of the Irish and Finnish exchange and studio award for 2010; Music Network announce the Director and Board for the National Music Education Programme.

News from the CCP in May includes: information on a new programme guide which has been published by the EACEA for the Culture Programme 2007-2013; a call for proposals for the LIFE+ programme, the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the EU; a new resource called Eve which allows you to view thousands of EU funded projects and their results online and finally the European Commission has published a beginners' guide to EU grants and funding.