Covid-19 awards for 14 Wexford artists
The Arts Council has contragulated 14 Wexford artists who have each been awarded a €3,000 grant to help them make new and original work during the Covid-19 crisis.
The government agency for funding and developing the arts said applications from County Wexford artists scored very highly in the Covid-19 Crisis Response Award scheme.
The successful artists include Aoife Banville, Richard Carr, Isabella Delaney, Bernadette Doolan, Cliona Fitzgerald and Jo Kimmins (visual arts), Aileen Lambert (traditional artist), Duncan Murphy and Rebecca Warren (musicians), Peter Murphy and Joy Redmond (literature), Michael Fortune and Garrett Keogh (arts participation) and Elizabeth Cliffe (young people, children and the arts).
The Arts Council said it was encouraged by both the quality of the applications, and the fact that almost two thirds of the successful artists across the country had never been funded by the Arts Council before.
The artists will now begin to create work across a range of art forms and in time, the public can expect to experience traditional arts, literature, dance, theatre, music, visual art, circus, film, opera and architecture.
Despite the fast turnaround time of the scheme, there was high demand from artists with almost 1,000 applications in total.
Minister Josepha Madigan said she especially welcomed the many new artists who were successful under this round.
‘I realise that now is a particularly challenging time for artists to make work. I look forward to the imminent report from the Arts Council’s Expert Advisory Group on further proposals to sustain this vital sector’, she said.
The €1 million scheme is part of a number of measures under way by the Arts Council to help support artists and arts organisations through the Covid-19 crisis.
‘We are very encouraged by the response to this award’, said Arts Council Director Maureen Kennelly.
‘The applications were of a very high standard and showed the depth and breadth of the arts in Ireland. With greater resources we could have awarded twice as many. Of course, this also points to artists’ particular and urgent needs at this time ofcrisis.’