Cork Arts Funds

Cork City Council invites applications for the grants under the Arts Act from groups who contribute to the creative arts or culture of Cork City. Grant is provided to a number of professional arts organisations and community and voluntary groups throughout the city area. These grants provide direct revenue funding for groups in support of their core work.

Cork City Council's Arts and Cultural Development Plan 2006-2009 is available to download from its website. Grant aid is distributed in accordance with these policies and strategies. Arts Grants are allocated to organisations only. Cork City Council offer artist bursary awards to individual artists. Please contact to arts office for further information.

Applications should be made on the official application form, which is available from the Arts Office, Recreation, Amenity and Culture, City Hall. Cork. Application forms are also available from the website and by email from arts@corkcity.ie

Completed application forms, accompanied by the documentation specified on the application form, should be returned to the Arts Office, Recreation, Amenity and Culture, 1st Floor, Abbeycourt House, George's Quay, Cork, not later than 5pm on Friday 5th February 2010.

Pickets Down

United Hollywood carries the good news that the WGA membership has voted to end the strike.

On Tuesday, members of the Writers Guilds East and West voted by a 92.5% margin to lift the restraining order that was invoked on November 5th. The strike is over.

Writing can resume immediately. If you were employed when the strike began, you should plan to report to work on Wednesday. If you're not employed at an office or other work site, call or e-mail your employer that you are resuming work. If you have been told not to report to work or resume your services, we recommend that you still notify your employer in writing of your availability to do so. Questions concerning return-to-work issues should be directed to the WGAW legal department at 323.782.4521 or the WGAE’s assistant executive director Ann Toback at 212-767-7823.

The decision to begin this strike was not taken lightly and was only made after no other reasonable alternative was possible. We are profoundly aware of the economic loss these fourteen weeks have created not only for our members but so many other colleagues who work in the television and motion picture industries. Nonetheless, with the establishment of the WGA jurisdiction over new media and residual formulas based on distributor’s gross revenue (among other gains) we are confident that the results are a significant achievement not only for ourselves but the entire creative community, now and in the future.

Funding Venue Change

Today's free Funding the Arts information session, organised by Filmbase and the Arts Council has moved location to the Andrew’s Lane Theatre (9-17 Andrew’s Lane, Dublin 2). The session will take place from 1.30pm - 2.30pm, and registration will occur from 1.15pm.

Roy W Dean Grant

This year's The Roy W. Dean Writing/Research Grant is open for applications; the deadline is May 18, 2007.

This will be a Writing/Research Grant for writers of screen plays, short films and documentary films for important issues that fit our criteria, must be "unique and make a difference to society". It is for writers who need uninterrupted time to work on projects in a beautiful, remote setting with a good computer, VCR, TV, RUV and a few sheep to tend.

The recipient of the award will receive 4 - 6 weeks at the Wye Cottage on the south island of New Zealand and air fare to the country, $120.00 NZ per week for groceries and gas, among other basic needs that will allow the writer to create work in an idyllic location.

Thanks to Lianne's Dates for your Diary.

Belfast Festival at Queens saved

The Stage reports that the international arts festival, Belfast Festival at Queen's, has been saved from closure by a "one-off" grant of £150,000 by the arts minister, Maria Eagle.

In November, principal sponsors and hosts, Queen's University, had threatened to withdraw its backing after successive years of declining support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Last month it launched a high-profile petition to save the festival. While welcoming the new money, half of what organisers had been hoping for, a festival spokesperson told The Stage: "We regret that it took a crisis to secure additional investment, the case for which is compelling. We hope that our other funding partners in the public and private sectors will now respond by increasing their financial support and investing in the festival’s long-term future".