Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, has announced over €1.6 million in funding to support the global promotion of Irish arts through Culture Ireland’s Regular Grants Programme. This funding represents the highest single grant round in the organisation’s history and demonstrates the Government’s commitment to enabling Irish artists and cultural organisations to reach international audiences.
The grants will support 191 projects across 48 countries, covering a wide range of disciplines including circus, dance, film, literature, music, opera, theatre, and visual arts. Circus projects include performances such as Runners in Spain and Portugal, ANOIS at the Imaginarius Festival in Portugal, and Ballet Poulet at the Festival Internacional de Artes Vivas in Colombia. Dance initiatives will see artists touring with productions like Impasse in the USA, Dances Like a Bomb in Switzerland, and MÁM in Denmark, among others.
In film, the funding will support Irish filmmakers attending major international festivals including the Chicago Film Festival, Stockfish in Iceland, the British & Irish Film Festival in France, and the Toronto Irish Film Festival in Canada. Literature initiatives will enable Irish authors to participate in global literary events such as the Sydney Writers’ Festival in Australia, the Buenos Aires Book Fair in Chile, and the Fabula Literary Festival in Slovenia.
Music projects include international tours and performances by a wide range of artists and ensembles, such as Folk Club Lausanne in Switzerland, Libra Ensemble in Japan, Soda Blonde in the USA, and performances at the Orkney Folk Festival in Scotland and venues in New Zealand and Hong Kong. Theatre support covers tours and performances by Brokentalkers in the UK, Dan Colley and Riverbank Arts Centre in China, and Deaf Republic in Lithuania and the USA.
Visual arts initiatives will showcase Irish artists internationally, including Diana Copperwhite, Geraldine O’Neill, and Paul Nugent in the Netherlands; Christine Mackey and Martina O’Brien in Sweden; Beth Fox in India; and Laura Skehan in the USA. Multidisciplinary projects will continue to promote Irish arts and culture at key festivals and venues such as The Registry Theatre in Canada, Belgrade Irish Festival in Serbia, The Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith in the UK, and Craic Fest in the USA.
This grant round underscores Ireland’s dedication to supporting the international visibility of its artists and cultural projects, strengthening the country’s presence and influence in global arts and culture.
