Arts Funding '08

The Arts Council announced that it will offer funding to 143 organisations and 34 local authorities for 2008, totalling almost €20 million.

Ms Olive Braiden, Chair of the Arts Council, said 2007 has been a significant year for the Arts Council in terms of reforming its funding programmes to make them more relevant to the needs of arts organisations and artists. 'Of the suite of new funding programmes, the Annual Funding programme is the final to be rolled out', she said.

The decisions follow the announcement that along with the €82.1 million allocation for 2008, the Council has received €3 million extra in funding from the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Seamus Brennan, TD, in its 2007 allocation.

Mary Cloake, Arts Council Director said: 'In addition to completing the roll-out of our funding programmes, these new funds give us the opportunity to fund initiatives which help to take the arts to a wider public across the country. In 2008 we will now be able to support additional touring and a new community music scheme.'

Details about the Arts Council's funding decisions can be viewed on their web site.