This month, the Arts Council announced more than 350 funding decisions for 2010, an investment totaling in excess of €49 million. These decisions, which were made in the context of an extremely difficult budgetary environment, represent the Council’s major grants to organisations. The full list is available in this month's newsletter. The remaining grants and awards, which also offer opportunities for new and emerging artistic talent, will be announced throughout the year. This month’s newsletter provides details on Project Awards and also includes details on the upcoming deadline for the Commissions Awards.
 
We have information on Art-Youth-Culture: FYI, an initiative of the Arts Council’s young people, children and education team, supported through the EU Youth in Action Programme and administered by Léargas. This new initiative invites those between the ages of 15 and 23 to discuss the participation of young people in cultural life and the arts for a three day event.

In addition, the Arts Council calls for nominations for Ireland’s first laureate for children’s literature. Laureate na nÓg is an initiative of the Arts Council with the support of the Office of the Minister for Children, Children’s Books Ireland and Poetry Ireland.  We also include a call for applications for Visual Artists in Prison Scheme, an initiative which allows artists to work with prisoners in one of the country’s prison/detention centres for a period of 10 days.

We also have an update on the New Media Mentoring Scheme from Arts Audiences, and welcome the addition of Google Ireland to the mentoring team.

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

The Arts Council announces its major grant allocations for 2010.

The Arts Council announce the deadline for Projects Awards 2010, a stream of funding which will replace New Work and Once-off Awards.

The Arts Council will offer Commissions Awards for activities in music and traditional arts commencing in 2010.  Application forms and guidance notes will be available in March. 

Art-Youth-Culture: FYI invites those between the ages of 15 and 23 to discuss young people's participation in cultural life and the arts with their peers and key policy-makers from 27-29 March.

A call for nominations for the position of Ireland's first lauteate for children's literature.

The Arts Council in partnership with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform call for applications for the Visual Artists in Prison Scheme.

Arts Audiences provide an update on the New Media Mentoring Scheme and welcome the addition of Google Ireland to the mentoring team.

News from the arts community in January includes a call to young jazz groups to apply for the Young Musicwide Award 2010 from Music Network; a notice on a new publication on art@work a residential programme in Roscommon,  Music Network seeks an Administrator/PR and Marketing Assistant and finally a call for composers from Arts across Borders.

News from the CCP in February includes: information on the upcoming launch of the new CCP Ireland website; the recipients of Strand 1.1 and Strand 1.2.1 are announced; the application forms for Stand 1.3 are now online; we have information on the ENCC Cultural Mobility Programme, an initiative which enables locally based cultural workers to work abroad for another cultural centre; we include a call for experts from EACEA and finally we remind you to stay up to date with European funding programmes using the EACEA website.