This month, the Arts Council launched its free on-line guide (www.events.artscouncil.ie) to cultural events around the country which gives information on the wide range of events taking place. Features can be selected by county, by month or by category - for example festivals, concerts, opera, plays and arts for young people and children.  July also saw the announcement of a new Arts Council policy to boost touring alongside the publication of A future for arts touring in Ireland 2010 - 2015, a report informed by the work of the Touring Experiment. The new approach encourages arts organisations to tour their work to venues around the country and means that regional audiences can expect the best of Irish arts to visit their locality.  Continuing on the theme of audiences, we also feature an Arts Audience initiative announcement on new media workshops that will take place in September.  

A new public art website (www.publicart.ie) was also launched in July. This venture was commissioned by the Arts Council, with the support of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and should prove an invaluable resource for those interested and/ or working in the public art arena in Ireland.

Also in the newsletter, we announce plans to conduct detailed and extensive research into artists' living and working conditions on an all island basis.  We also have information about Object, an exhibition organised by the Crafts Council of Ireland, which will display nineteen works from the Arts Council collection.

The newsletter includes an important notice on the Travel and Training Award, while, in other announcements, we give details of the Ireland Chair of Poetry's bursary award recipient for 2009, and the Deis Recording Scheme in traditional arts.

We welcome the recent publication of a report by the Donegal County Development Board's Cultural Forum, which shows that the arts can boost jobs, draw more tourists, restore our self-confidence and spearhead economic recovery.

The newsletter ends on our regular articles on opportunities from the Cultural Contact Point and news from the arts community.

Mary Cloake
Director

The Arts Council has launched a free on-line guide to the vast and diverse mix of activities, shows, exhibitions and performances that it supports around the country.

People right across the country can expect the best of the arts to visit them under a new Arts Council policy to boost touring.

Arts Audiences are organising a series of one-day seminars designed to assist arts organisations develop internet strategies tailored specifically to their own needs.

The Arts Council are delighted to announce that www.publicart.ie has now gone live.

The Arts Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland have jointly commissioned Hibernian consultants to conduct detailed and extensive research into artists' living and working conditions on an all island basis.

Ninteen works from the Arts Council's collection will be included in Object, an exhibition organised by the Crafts Council of Ireland and curated by Brian Kennedy.

The Arts Council wishes to advise that the allocated budget for the Travel and Training Award in 2009 has now been committed in many artforms and arts practice areas.

The trustees of the Ireland Chair of Poetry recently named Leanne O'Sullivan as the recipient of the 2009 Ireland Chair of Poetry bursary.

We announce the decisions for the first Deis recording round.

Mary Cloake, welcomes a new report on County Donegal, which shows that the arts could boost jobs, draw more tourists, restore our self-confidence and spearhead economic recovery.

Opportunities from the arts community in July includes: a job opportunity at Barnstorm Theatre Company; a new national music tuition programme funded by U2 and the Ireland Funds; a call for applications from Mayo County Council to apply for a place on a public art panel; the deadlines for two music funding schemes are announced by Music Network and finally we have information on a new professional development programme for musicians and composers.

News from the CCP in July includes: information on the updated Culture Programme guide; a notice on the upcoming availability of electronic application forms for the Culture Programme; a reminder of the Culture in Motion conference and the European Culture Forum which will be held in September; a link to video documentation of the recent Culture Infodays and finally details of the EACEA website.