Arts funding now open
THE Arts Council’s Artist in the Community (AIC) scheme is now open to Wicklow artists or community groups interested in working on a collaborative, socially engaged project.
Managed by Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts in social and community contexts, the AIC scheme offers awards to enable artists and communities to work together on projects.
The scheme, which also offers an annual bursary, as well as residencies and a summer school, is open to artists involved in art forms such as architecture, circus, street art and spectacle, dance, film, literature (Irish and English language), music, opera, theatre, visual arts and traditional arts.
Create defines community in the broadest sense of the word. However, for the AIC scheme, the artist or artists must collaborate with a community of non-arts professionals.
Collaborative arts are defined as artists and communities working closely together, often over extended periods, to make art.
The 2024 deadlines for the Artist in the Community Scheme are Monday, March 25, at 5 p.m. (Round One) and Monday, September 30 (Round Two).
Awards available include the
Research and Development Award (without mentoring), which is open to artists who wish to research and develop a project in a community context. The maximum award is €3,500, and the timeframe should be no longer than six months.
The Research and Development Award (with mentoring) is open to artists who wish to develop a community-based project and who have identified an artist mentor to work with.
The maximum award is €4,500, of which €1,000 is specifically to engage a mentor for the artist, and the timeframe should be no longer than six months.
The Recent Graduate Research and Development Award (with Mentoring) is open to recent graduate artists, who are defined as those of any age who have graduated from an undergraduate degree programme in the arts in the past three years and are interested in developing, exploring, or are establishing a professional career in collaborative arts practice.
This award specifically targets emerging artists/practitioners who have completed their undergraduate degree and are not in postgraduate studies at the time of the award. Recent graduates can request up to €1,000 additional funding to support the development of their practice. Finally, the Project Realisation Award is open to communities of interest or place (or their representative organisations) planning a project with an artist of 8 to 12 months duration, with a maximum award of €15,000.
In advance of the awards’ closing date, Create is offering an online information session – on Wednesday, March 6 (2 p.m. to 4 p.m.) – which will answer any questions about making an application to the scheme.
“It’s also about sharing the experience of developing and delivering a collaborative project through the Scheme,” a Create spokesperson said.
“If you are an artist or a community organisation interested in the Artist in the Community Scheme, but don’t know where to start, come talk to us.
“If you are an artist interested in developing a collaborative project with a community organisation or in a community situation, this event is for you.
“If you are an artist who has applied before and would like to access further details on the application process, please join us.
“In the information sessions, Áine Crowley, programme Manager of Arts and Engagement, will be joined by a previous AIC Scheme recipient, who will share their experience.”
Application forms for each award are available via create-ireland.ie.