In this month's newsletter, the Arts Council notes our grant-in-aid figure from Government for 2011 of €65.2 million. The figure was announced in the Budget, and we welcome the acknowledgement given to the Arts Council as a major supporter of employment in the arts sector.

The amount is a reduction on the €68.7 million we had to invest in 2010. While all cuts have implications, we hope that the creativity and resourcefulness demonstrated by artists and the wider arts sector will continue to enable high levels of artistic activity throughout the country.

Also this month, we publish the closing dates for grants and awards in 2011. We include the decisions for the Project Awards 2011 and the first round of the Small Arts Festival Scheme 2011.  In addition, we remind you of the deadline for the next round of Bursary Awards.

We also include the new Arts and Health Policy and Strategy and announce the development of a new independent national arts and health website.

Also in this edition, we remind you of Publicart.ie, Ireland's first online public art resource, offering information from the practical to the critical including a directory of over 100 public artworks, news and opportunities and video interviews with artists and commissioners.

Finally, the newsletter rounds off with our regular article on news from the arts community and international opportunities from the Cultural Contact Point. 

Mary Cloake
Director

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The Arts Council announces the 2011 closing dates for grants and awards.

The Arts Council announces the decisions for the Projects Awards 2011.

The Arts Council has announced details of successful recipients under round one of the Small Arts Festivals Scheme for 2011.

The deadline for the next round of Bursary Awards is Thursday 20 January, 2011 at 5.30pm.

The Arts Council has developed a new Arts and Health Policy and Strategy following a period of consultation and research with the arts and health sector.

Following a selection process, the Arts Council are delighted to announce that Waterford Healing Arts Trust and Create the national development agency for collaborative arts, will jointly develop a new independent national arts and health website.

Ireland's first online public art resource, publicart.ie is a dynamic platform for those currently working in, or intending to work in the public art field in Ireland.

News from the arts community in December includes an invitation to apply for the Performance Corporation's SPACE Programme 2011, a residency which allows artists of all disciplines to collaborate, experiment and innovate in an inspiring enviroment; Buí Bolg seeks a costume assistant and a sales and marketing assistant; Practice.ie are looking for artists who work with children aged 0-3 years to take part in a report on mapping early years arts practice in Ireland; a new resource (www.irishmusiceducation.ie) for the music education community is launched.

News from the CCP in December includes: information on funding opportunities for literary translation projects; CCP Ireland would like to hear of any arts events, seminars and conferences planned for 2011 with an international remit; registration is open for the Culture in Motion Conference in February 2011; we include details on the European Year of Volunteering 2011 and finally the Equality Authority call for expressions of interest in the European Innovation Fund which is open to arts organisations.