Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin has announced funding of €1,230,750 for the promotion of Irish arts globally through Culture Ireland’s Regular Grants Programme.

The funding will benefit 160 projects spread across 40 countries, covering circus, dance, film, literature, music, opera, theatre and the visual arts.

Announcing the grants, Minister Martin said:

“Culture Ireland plays a central role in supporting Irish artists to grow their international audiences. Demand for Culture Ireland funding keeps growing which demonstrates clearly the appetite around the world for Irish artists to present their work.  I am very pleased to announce this round of Culture Ireland funding of over €1.2m, which is the highest single grant round in the history of the organisation. These projects will generate new opportunities and audiences for Irish artists and showcase the rich and diverse offering of Irish arts globally.”

Projects include:

1. Irish artists including Amanda Coogan and Aideen Barry participating in the Bangkok Art Biennale 2024: Nurture Gaia by Bangkok Art Biennale in Bangkok, Thailand (October 2024 -February 2025)
2. Irish writers participating at international literary festivals including Toronto International Festival of Authors, Canada (September 2024), Vancouver Writers’ Festival, Canada (October 2024), Verb Readers and Writers Festival, Wellington, New Zealand (November 2024), Cheltenham Literature Festival, GB (October) and Litquake Festival, USA (October 2024)
3. Appearances by Irish music artists at a range of summer Irish Festivals across North America including Iowa Irish Fest, Milwaukee Irish Fest, Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, Montana Irish Festival and Kansas City Irish Festival. Artists include Boxing Banjo, Karan Casey, JigJam, Screaming Orphans and The Jeremiahs.
4. Touring supports towards a range of circus and dance productions including Hands Down Circus, ROGU Arts and Laura Murphy touring in South America including Colombia & Chile (October – November 2024)
5. Irish artists participating in the Lorient Interceltic Festival, France (August 2024)
6. Manchán Magan’s Arán agus Im on tour across Britain piloting a new touring network for Irish artists (October 2024)
7. Silva Lumina by Tom Meskell, at Glow Wild 2024, Kew Gardens, Wakehurst, GB (November 2024 – January 2025)
8. International touring by many of Ireland’s major dance companies including Teaċ Daṁsa (France/Austria/Mexico), CoisCéim Dance Theatre (Croatia/Greece), Emma Martin/United Fall (Switzerland) and Mufutau Yusuf (France) (August 2024 – February 2025)
9. International tours by a range of Irish artists including Lisa O’Neill, Fontaines DC, Pillow Queens, Oisín Leech, Mick Flannery & Susan O’Neill, Gurriers, Kila, Anna Mieke and Onóir.
10. Support for solo exhibitions by visual artists including Leann Herlihy (Toronto Biennial of Art, September – December 2024), Vivienne Griffin (The Bureau, New York, July – August 2024), Elizabeth Cope (Maison de Poivre Art Gallery, Canada, August – October 2024) and Dennis Farrell (La Tourette, Lyon, France (July – August 2024)
11. International appearances and tours by writers and poets including Oisín McKenna, Jean Pasley, Stephen James Smith and Michael O’Loughlin.
12. Support towards the attendance of Irish film artists at key Irish film festivals including the British and Irish Film Festival Luxembourg (September 2024), Newport Beach Film Festival, USA (October 2024) and the Irish Film Festival Australia (October/November 2024)
13. A ten-venue tour across the US of Cahoots NI’s production of The Vanishing Elephant (March/April 2025)
14. Programme support for key presenters of Irish arts and culture in the US and Britain including Solas Nua (Washington DC, USA) and the Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith, GB.