Waterford's historic links with Newfoundland are to be emphasised in a series of projects being undertaken by the city's institute of technology.
Cultural grants totalling almost €40,000 have been secured by the institute, WIT, from the Ireland-Newfoundland Partnership.
An anthology of poetry and a classical music competition are among the projects envisaged.
Waterford and St John's in Newfoundland are soon to be twinned in recognition of the long-established connections between the two cities.
Vast numbers of people emigrated to Newfoundland through the port of Waterford in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Dr John Ennis, head of the school of humanities at WIT, said this mass migration had helped to shape Newfoundland and many of the "mores and everyday mannerisms" of the Waterford migrants were evident to the present day.
It was appropriate, he said, that Waterford and St John's should be twinned and that the historic links be given life and meaning in the 21st century. To that end, the projects planned by WIT were crucial.
The two biggest schemes have each been allocated €10,000.
One involves a competition for a new classical music composition celebrating the twinning of the cities and the other an anthology of contemporary poetry to be co-edited by Dr Ennis and Dr Stephanie McKenzie, a visiting professor at the Metropolitan University in Newfoundland.
Three grants of €5,000 have also been allocated for exchange projects involving community drama and dance, traditional music and digital media.
The remaining funding of €4,300 will support a storytelling exchange project concentrating on schoolchildren and senior citizens.
"This will help to keep a unique verbal cultural link alive as well as to facilitate a shared community experience," said Dr Ennis.