If Galway is to keep its reputation as a city which supports the arts, it must maintain the current level of arts funding and not allow it to drop in December’s budget.
This is the view of Fine Gael councillor Brian Walsh. At Monday’s city council meeting, councillors approved the Arts Grants for 2010, which totalled €435,000. Cllr Walsh is calling on City Hall to ensure the arts grants for 2011 will be kept at that level and will not suffer any cuts when the budget is being decided on at the council’s special Statutory Annual Budget Meeting 2010 to be held on Monday December 6.
“I will be fighting to insure that we maintain this level of funding of €435,000 in next year’s budget,” Cllr Walsh said. “Galway is a thriving centre of excellence for the arts and the local economy benefits enourmously from this reputation and a great deal of revenue and jobs are generated.”
Major grants went to the Galway Arts Festival (€48,000 ), Macnas (€35,000 ), Druid Theatre Co (€30,000 ), Galway Music Residency (€25,000 ), Galway Arts Centre (€19,000 ), Baboró International Children’s Festival (€16,500 ), Galway Film Fleadh (€16,000 ), Cúirt International Festival of Literature (€13,000 ), Artspace Studios (€12,500 ), Galway Film Centre (€12,500 ), Music For Galway (€11,000 ), TULCA Festival of Visual Art (€10,500 ), Galway Jazz Festival (€10,000 ), and Galway University Hospital Arts Trust (€10,000 ).
A grant of €8,000 each went to Galway Early Music, Galway Film Society, and Galway Youth Theatre, while Adventures in Music, Galway Musical Society, and the Galway Sessions each received €7,000.
There were grants also for the Galway Youth Orchestra (€5,300 ), Galway Baroque Singers (€4,500 ), Over The Edge (€3,500 ), Seanua (€2,550 ), Salthill Active Retired Association Writers (€750 ), and Galway Steinway Trust (€600 ).
A grant of €5,000 each went to Ala Community Theatre, Brothers of Charity Soundscape, and the Galway Patrician Musical Society. Grants of €4,000 went to the Blue Teapot Theatre Co, Cois Cladaigh, Galway Choral Association, Galway Theatre Festival, KATS, and the Renmore Pantomime.
A grant of €3,000 each was received by the Access Music Project, Colour Street Theatre, Connect Castlegar, Engage Studios, Mephisto Theatre, Open House Galway, Spirit Of Voice Festival, and Tribal Music.
Crannóg Media, Groundworks Studios, and North Beach Poetry Nights each received €2,500. A grant of €2,000 each went to Afro Renaissance, the traditional music programme of St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway Community Circus, Moonfish Theatre, and the Super 8 Shots Film Festival.
There was a grant of €1,700 each for the St Patrick’s Band Room and Junior Galway Film Fleadh; of €1,500 for Cups and Crowns, Electric Bridget, 126 Gallery, Solas Community Arts, and Spirit of Voice Africa.
Average, Away With Words, Core Theatre, Galway Africa Film Festival, Galway Americana Festival, Galway Civic Trust, Jasango Theatre, Salthill Festival, and the Western Writers’ Centre each received a grant of €1,000.
However the Western Writers’ Centre manager Fred Johnston has described the grant of €1,000 as “lunch-money, insulting money”.
There were grants of €700 for the Galway Art Club and Regina Rogers Ballet Promotions while, grants of €500 were received by the Galway Percy French Society, Renmore Active Retired Association, Waterdonkey Theatre, and Westside Library Writers.
