Tourism Minister announces almost €400k funding to promote Irish arts worldwide

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has announced €380,000 of funding to promote Irish arts worldwide. 

Minister Catherine Martin made the announcement today (Thursday June 9) and revealed over 70 projects covering film, architecture, music, circus, theatre and visual arts will benefit from the funding. 

She said, "Ireland is known worldwide for our artists and it is so heartening to see them return to reach international audiences in person strengthening cultural connections around the globe. I am delighted that the Culture Ireland funding announced today will assist Irish arts to be enjoyed on world stages at an unprecedented level since the pandemic.” 

Irish arts will showcase in multiple countries as part of the initiative, including Japan, Australia, the United States, Greece, Slovakia, the UK, the Netherlands, Hungary, France, Lithuania, Israel and Canada.  

€380k to promote Irish arts globally

This will support 70 projects by Irish artists as they strengthen Ireland's cultural connections around the globe. It covers:
architecture
theatre
literature
music
visual art
film https://t.co/tJb9BTXRH1 pic.twitter.com/R6ug47yYM1

— Catherine Martin TD (@cathmartingreen) June 9, 2022

The bulk of funding will go towards promoting Irish music abroad, with 29 projects receiving a total of €149,3500, while €62,200 will fund 14 visual arts projects. 

Irish musicians will take to the international stage with artists such as We Banjo 3, Screaming Orphans, JigJam, Dervish and Aoife Scott touring North America, performing at key Irish festivals in Milwaukee, Ohio, Dayton and Iowa. 

Altan will undertake a US tour near the end of the year. 

There will also be strong Irish music engagement in Europe over the summer months, with Just Mustard and Los Paddys touring Germany, Ye Vagabonds performing in Czech Republic and Connla in Italy and Austria. Robocobra Quartet and Dea Matrona will perform at Glastonbury Festival in June. 

Just under €9,000 has been allocated to Irish circus productions, which will take place in Germany, Slovakia and Italy. 

The current wealth of Irish writing is reflected in support for a number of Irish authors including Colm Tóibín, Sinéad Gleeson and Louise Kennedy, who will participate in the Edinburgh International Book Festival. 

Irish authors will also be presented at the British Library in London during the ‘Irish Writer Weekend’ in September and at the Cheltenham Literature Festival in October. 

Ten thousand euro has been ringfenced for TWIST, a major exhibition by contemporary artists Michelle Browne and Dominic Thorpe at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Australia throughout June until mid-July. 

Other exhibitions will take place throughout the year in the UK, US, Spain, Austria and Germany. 

Irish artists will participate in the Return to London Town Festival from October 28 - 31 this year, while others will be part of Catskills Irish Arts Week at the M.J. Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Centre Inc., in New York, USA, in July. 

Twenty five thousand euro will go towards the presentation of Fishamble's HEAVEN by Eugene O'Brien for the 1st Irish Festival at 59E59 theatres in New York, US, while other productions will showcase in the Netherlands, Czech Republic and the UK.