Circus, opera, traditional arts and local authorities get nearly €10m

The Arts Council has decided on next year's funding for circus, opera and the traditional arts in advance of its main revenue…

The Arts Council has decided on next year's funding for circus, opera and the traditional arts in advance of its main revenue funding decisions in mid-January.

The council has just announced almost €10 million in funding to 23 organisations in what it sees as key areas, as well as to local authorities, which is earlier than when it had planned to make these decisions.

By the October 20th deadline, 401 funding applications had arrived at the Arts Council and it has now made a selection of initial funding offers, including to 34 local authorities and Ealaín na Gaeltachta.

Circus funding is €230,000 for 2007, an increase of €100,000 on what was provided last year, opera organisations have been offered €3.78 million, an increase of €660,000, and traditional arts organisations have been offered €1.87 million, €697,500 more than last year; that €1.87 million is part of overall spending of €4 million in the second of a three-year development programme for the traditional arts.

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Local authorities have been offered €3,374,000, an increase of €451,900 on last year, with specific support for children and young people.

Arts Council director Mary Cloake said yesterday that the council had looked at applications from all organisations at the same time to make overall budgetary decisions, then decided they could make some of their funding decisions earlier than planned.

These decisions would not affect funding for other areas, which would not be finalised until January: "There is no particular advantage to being notified earlier from a budgetary point of view," she said.

Down the line the council plans to change the timing of funding decisions from this year so that every arts organisation will know about its grant for 2008 before Christmas 2007, and some of them will know their level of funding much earlier in 2007, Ms Cloake said.

For 2007 funding, all remaining decisions under revenue funding were expected to be made in mid January 2007 and applicants would be told about the grants shortly afterwards.

Olive Braiden, chair of the Arts Council said: "Taking decisions a little earlier in a number of key areas will help these organisations as they plan their activities for 2007. From a policy perspective, circus, opera and the traditional arts represent current priority areas for the Arts Council and this is reflected in the significant increases in levels of funding support that has been offered through revenue funding."

CIRCUSES

Circus Gerbola €45,000

Duffy's Circus €57,500

Fidget Feet €57,500

Fossett Brothers Circus €57,500

Galway Circus Project €12,500

TOTAL ... €230,000

OPERA

Cork Opera Works €13,000

Lyric Opera Productions €25,000

Opera 2005 €102,000

Opera Ireland €1,700,000

Opera Theatre Company €798,000

Wexford Festival Opera €150,000

TOTAL ... €3,788,000

TRADITIONAL ARTS

Cairde Rince Céili na hÉireann €30,000

Cairdeas na bhFidleiri €24,800

Irish Traditional Music Archive €€610,000

Na Píobairí Uilleann Teoranta €360,000

Glór - Irish Music Centre €100,000

Ionad Cultúrtha €30,000

Seamus Ennis Cultural Centre €75,000

Siamsa Tire €440,000

Scoil Gheimhridh Frankie Kennedy €57,750

Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy €80,000

Sligo Musicfest €20,000

Tionscnamh Lugh €40,750

TOTAL ... €1,868,300

LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Carlow CC €110,000

Cavan CC €90,000

Clare CC €115,000

Cork CC€90,000

Cork CC €115,000

Donegal CC €115,000

Dublin CC€50,000

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown CC €120,000

Ealaín na Gaeltachta Teoranta €490,000

Fingal CC €15,000

Galway CC€35,000

Galway CC €90,000

Kerry CC €50,000

Kildare CC €80,000

Kilkenny CC €85,000

Laois CC €100,000

Leitrim CC €115,000

Limerick CC€69,000

Limerick CC €95,000

Longford CC €50,000

Louth CC €105,000

Mayo CC €125,000

Meath CC €65,000

Monaghan CC €105,500

North Tipperary CC €105,000

Offaly CC €70,000

Roscommon CC €80,000

Sligo CC €135,000

South Dublin CC €70,000

Waterford CC€70,000

Waterford CC €66,500

Westmeath CC €83,000

Wexford CC €140,000

Wicklow CC €75,000

TOTAL ... €3,374,000

Deirdre Falvey

Deirdre Falvey

Deirdre Falvey is a features and arts writer at The Irish Times