The Arts Council's Small Arts Festivals Scheme is designed, in the main, to support and provide opportunities for small arts festivals or events happening throughout the country next year. Under the scheme, organisations may apply for funding up to a maximum of €20,000. As in previous years, the scheme will be run in two rounds with closing dates to suit festivals taking place at different times of the year.
The Small Arts Festivals Scheme is designed to be flexible and to cater for the broad range of arts organisations expected to avail of the scheme from once-off local events with short lead in times, requiring modest sums, to more ambitious initiatives involving longer planning cycles and requiring more in terms of funding. It also caters for events taking place throughout the year, e.g. a series of concerts. This year, the scheme has funded 169 small festivals to the value of €935,000.
The closing dates for the Arts Council's Small Arts Festivals Scheme for 2010 are as follows:
Round one closing date
Round one of the scheme is available to festivals taking place on or before the 30 June 2010. Closing date for receipt of applications for round one is Friday 25 September 2009. If applicants are organising a series of events (e.g. concert series) taking place over the course of the year, i.e. continuing beyond 30 June, they should also apply under round one.
Round two closing date
Festivals and events taking place in the second half of 2010, i.e. after 1 July 2010, should apply under round two of the scheme. The closing date for round two is to be confirmed.
Application form
First time applications
First time applicants to the scheme are advised to contact Úna McCarthy, Head of Festivals and Events, prior to submitting an application; telephone ++353 1 6180272 or by email to firsttime@artscouncil.ie.