FUNDING ALLOCATED TO LOCAL ARTS GROUPS
Funding was allocated to a number of local groups under the Arts Grant Scheme at this week’s full meeting of Cork County Council.
One of the largest allocations went to the Blackwater Valley Makers who received €4,500 in funding to disseminate three separate projects online with the aim of strengthening the bonds forged with the wider community through the fresh appreciation of arts and crafts which the Blackwater Valley Makers have brought to the Fermoy area.
Art For The Heart received a €2,000 allocation which will go towards a fourday extravaganza of creative workshops.
It is intended that these workshops will bring people together in a positive space to discover their own creativity.
Fermoy Street Arts Community Group were also successful in their application for funding with an allocated sum of €1,250 to continue creating artworks and puppets from recycled materials in order to hold three events a year for the public to participate in and enjoy.
Take 6, a visual arts group, were allocated €1,000 in funding to develop new writing, a comedy sketch show, and a monologue or duologue rapid-fire showcase.
The Thomas Kent Pipe Band were allocated €500 in order to cover the incurring expenses, despite being unable to perform for the past number of months due to Covid. Funding allocated to the Thomas Kent Pipe Band will go towards hall rental and insurance as they noted, they cannot generate income currently.
Under the Irish Language Arts Category, the recipient of the largest sum of funding was Campa Spraoi Baite Chaisleain an Roistigh who received a sum of €1,000. This funding will go towards facilitating an arts summer camp for young people at Castletownroche National School.
An Cumann Cheol Clasaiceach was allocated €400 in funding for a concert that will feature classical piano and classical singing and Claisceadal na gCarad were allocated €150 under the Irish Language Arts category. It is intended that the latter will go towards an evening of entertainment in Fermoy Library with songs and music focusing on supernatural themes, storytelling and folklore. This presentation will be in Irish, according to the application, and admission to the event will be free.
The Artists In Schools category saw Castletownroche National School allocated €1,000 in funding.
With this funding, it is hoped that Bari-Lee will facilitate a number of workshops and projects involving music and radio productions, rapping, and street art in English or Gaeilge involving pupils from the school.
‘CHALLENGING PERIOD’
Following a very difficult year for the Arts sector, the Council hopes that the funding provided in this year’s Arts Grants Scheme will help to revitalise arts in the county and pave the way for a return to cultural spaces and events later this year, in line with public health guidelines.
A budget of €134,000 was given to the Arts Grants Scheme, with funding distributed across Cork County. An additional budget of €2,550 for the category Arts using the Irish Language is made available through Oifig na Gaeilge. 81 artists and arts organisations are set to receive funding from the 2021 scheme.
Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey relayed the importance of these supports to ensure the Arts remains accessible to all in the county.
“While the annual economic benefit of the Arts events funded by this scheme is estimated to have been in excess of €5 million prior to Covid-19, the social, cultural and community impact is invaluable.
“Last year, Cork County Council’s support of the Arts enabled many groups to continue their work through a particularly challenging period. Arts funding has helped organisations and artists to adapt and improvise in 2020 and we will see the benefits of this as further funding is made available this year. For 2021, our aim is to see the Arts thrive and in turn help revitalise our towns and public spaces by allowing all our citizens to actively participate in the creative arts.”