Community groups and individual artists have until next Thursday March 13 to apply for arts grants administered by the county council.
Speaking at this week’s Housing and Culture SPC meeting in Athlone, county arts officer Miriam Mulrennan said she hopes to see huge interest in the grants, and is urging people who haven’t applied before to consider getting involved.
She said she and her staff will offer any support they can to help people fill in the forms.
Grants are available for schemes and for groups working within communities and also for individual artists.
Arts in Community grants are awarded to cover fees for artists working in community groups on projects which encourage “meaningful collaboration between artists and groups”.
This can include schools, healthcare, and community centres and covers arts projects, including residencies.
The grant covers fees up to a total of €750 and the group has to show it can provide the materials for a specific project over a specific number of weeks so that participants have a chance to engage with the arts.
Arts Acts grants are available to community, amateur, and voluntary groups, organisations, or individuals who stimulate the public’s interest in the arts or assist in the appreciation of the arts or assist in improving standards in the arts The grants will be in the region of €300 but can vary.
There is also an artist bursary scheme which provides funding to individual artists based in Westmeath who earn a portion of their annual income through their artistic practice.
Artists working in any of the areas referenced in the county arts plan can apply for funds for a variety of reasons.
Bursaries of around €400 will be awarded for artists seeking opportunities to change the direction of their work, or to create a new body of work. The money can also be used for further studies or to seek mentoring, to provide materials or equipment or to develop opportunities abroad.
e opportunity to apply directly to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre for a residential artist’s working retreat.
All of the schemes are competitive and details are available on www.westmeathcoco.ie
The closing date for each grant application is 5pm on March 13 and all applications must be sent by hard copy only.
