The Arts Council invites interested parties (or partnerships) to apply for funding to support the provision of creative production services on a resource-sharing basis for professional theatre in Ireland.

As part of its policy and strategy for theatre arising out of its ten-year strategy Making Great Art Work, The Arts Council now wishes to pilot a resource-sharing scheme that will support the development of a creative production services for professional theatre in Ireland. The objective is to test whether this type of initiative can enhance supports to independent theatre artists and makers, thereby enabling a more effective use of available resources, and reducing the need for independent artists to create formal producing structures around themselves.

The purpose of the initiative is as follows:

• To enable the provision of high-quality production services and sharing of resources for the development, presentation and touring of theatre performances to audiences
• To engage the services of creative theatre producers to enable them to nurture and support the work of multiple theatre artists and makers
• To work with independent theatre artists and companies to support them in their creative development and to assist them in the production of their artistic ideas, including, where appropriate, access to dramaturgical and/or script-development support
• To offer practical administrative and infrastructural supports to a number of independent theatre artists and/or companies
• To offer payment to artists on the basis of residency programmes
• To provide mentorship, training and developmental opportunities to independent theatre artists.

Proposals can be made for funding up to a maximum of €250,000 per year over two years.  Prospective applicants must have registered their interest by 5.30pm on the 5^th September.  The guidelines can be found here