People in over 40 towns, villages and cities across the country from Rearcross in County Tipperary to Letterkenny in County Donegal can expect to experience world class concerts, plays, performances and exhibitions in the months ahead under the Arts Council's special touring scheme. Announcing grants today (27 July 2011) of over €1.2 million in additional funding for touring of work in Ireland in theatre, music, traditional arts, literature, visual arts, young people's programming and dance, the Arts Council said that the funding would enable 38 individual artists and organisations to take their shows on the road from July 2011 to July 2012 to all corners of Ireland.
The announcement of these grants by the Arts Council, which was welcomed by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, follows the success of the Council's 'Touring Experiment' in 2007 and 2008. The scheme now called the 'Touring and Dissemination of Work' scheme is designed to encourage arts organisations to take their best shows to audiences countrywide.
The additional touring grants will allow performance organisations such as the National Chamber Choir (awarded €70,000) bring a programme of choral music to audiences at the Burren College of Art, the Solstice Arts Centre and Church of Ireland in Navan, the Holy Trinity Heritage Centre in Carlingford and other venues in Waterford, Galway and Kilkenny. The Abbey Theatre (awarded €68,000) will bring their production of 'B for Baby' by Carmel Winters to venues in Ireland including the Town Hall Theatre in Galway, Siamsa Tíre in Tralee, Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray, Everyman Palace in Cork and the Roscommon Arts Centre to mention just a few. Druid Theatre Company (awarded €77,000) will bring John B Keane's 'Big Maggie' to a number of venues on a nationwide tour following its production in November in Galway and Dublin. The grants also allow dance performance group Junk Ensemble - sisters Megan and Jessica Kennedy, - (awarded €39,178), to travel to Letterkenny, Galway, Waterford, Tralee and Carlow and Barnstorm Theatre Company, Kilkenny, (awarded €64,000) which has 20 years experience of working with and presenting work to children and young people, to produce the world premiere of a new work 'A Murder of Crows' at the Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny in October and tour the production in February and March 2012. A concert by the Irish Chamber Orchestra, (awarded €25,000) with soloist Michael McHale and conductor Gerard Korsten, will be live streamed from the University Concert Hall, Limerick on platformireland.ie on 20 October. This event will be available via smartphone, PC and screened in selected venues nationwide.
Welcoming today's announcement, Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, said: "In our Programme for Government we are committed to protecting the State's investment in regional arts infrastructure. I am delighted to welcome today's grant announcement of over €1.2 million by the Arts Council to enable theatre, music, dance, visual art and literary events and arts performances for young people to tour venues and centres of all kinds throughout the country. Not only will the shows be of interest to local people and complement their own arts activity on the ground, but the work will undoubtedly bring cultural tourism opportunities to these towns and villages."
Pat Moylan, Chairman of the Arts Council said: "We know from our research that people across Ireland are enthusiastic about seeing high quality work. We are pleased that we have been able to fund 38 tours, which will allow audiences around the country attend excellent performances that they may otherwise not have been able to see." Ms Moylan added:
"All throughout the year the arts play an important role in local economies by creating jobs and attracting visitors with great performances and exhibitions in so many local centres."
Towns, cities and villages that are expected to feature and host arts performances under the Arts Council's touring scheme include Dublin (including Tallaght Hospital); Cork city, Ballincollig, Kilworth, Kinsale, Banteer and Baltimore in County Cork; Tralee and Rathmore in County Kerry; Clonmel, Rearcross, Ballylooby and Thurles in County Tipperary; Westport, Ballina and Castlebar in County Mayo; Ennis, Ballyvaughan and Kilrush in County Clare; Newbridge and Athy in County Kildare; Bray and Tinahely in County Wicklow; Waterford city; Carrick-on-Shannon and Manorhamilton in County Leitrim; Navan; Monaghan; Longford; Letterkenny; Limerick; Carlow; Roscommon; Kilkenny; Sligo; Carlingford and Drogheda in County Louth; Galway city and Clifden in County Galway; Rossmore and Portlaoise in County Laois; Carrick-on-Bannow and Wexford in County Wexford; Cavan and Virginia; Ballynacargy in County Westmeath.
Thirty eight organisations/individual artists in Ireland have been awarded over €1.2 million in additional Arts Council funding to allow them tour their work around the country under the categories of arts participation; dance, literature, music, theatre, traditional arts, visual arts and young people's work. They are:
- The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, (Tallaght) €15,400
- Junk Ensemble, €39,178
- Ballet Ireland, €56,000
- Lilliput Press, €26,000
- Dublin Review of Books, €25,000
- Gaelchultúr, €9,250
- Salmon Poetry, €6,000
- The Stinging Fly, €11,100
- Irish Writers' Centre, €56,000
- Classicallinks, €22,000
- Note Productions, €20,000
- Irish Chamber Orchestra, €25,000
- National Chamber Choir, €70,000
- Ergodos, €6,000
- Sean Carpio, €10,000
- eX, €32,000
- Resurgam, €70,000
- The Abbey Theatre, €68,000
- Castastrophe Theatre Company, €8,000
- Town Hall Theatre Galway, €68,000
- Druid Theatre Company, €77,000
- Garter Lane Arts Centre, €34,000
- Wexford Arts Centre, €31,000
- Rough Magic Theatre Company, €124,000
- Blueraincoat Theatre Company, €30,000
- Second Age Theatre Company, €114,000
- Christopher Leahy, €6,000
- Conor O Leary, €11,300
- Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts, €9,000
- Live@8, €3,000
- Project Arts Centre, €14,000
- Lewis Glucksman Gallery, €8,000
- Association of Irish Choirs, €15,000
- Tigh Fili Arts Centre, €15,000
- Branar Dramaíocht Teo, €15,000
- Cyclone Repertory Company, €12,000
- Kids' Own, €10,000
- Barnstorm Theatre Company, €64,000