The Arts Council Programme for Ireland 2016: Open Call to the Irish Imagination

Ireland is on the eve of a great anniversary; the centenary of the proclamation of the republic. The Arts Council, through support from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, is charged with remembering, celebrating and interrogating the Centenary of the Easter Rising 1916 in art and ideas. In the century since, artists have been the chief signifiers of our nation. Their work, created in hope, has been the enduring imaginative life of what Ireland can become.

The Arts Councils programme as part of Ireland 2016 will take place across the full year. The open call we announce today as part of our programme represents a unique opportunity for artists and arts organisations to invigorate the Irish imagination. We will invest €1 million in major commissions as part of Ireland 2016. The work will be presented to the public in 2016 and will represent a key response by our contemporary artists to the centenary of the Easter Rising.

The open call for national projects is open to all individuals and organisations who are resident in the state, although the Arts Council may accept an application from outside Ireland in exceptional circumstances and where the final outcome will benefit the arts in the state. Projects will be selected by a Jury made up of two international experts, a national expert and two members of the Arts Council. It will be chaired by the Chair of the Arts Council, Sheila Pratschke.

In recognising the part played by artists in the events of 1916, and in recognising the role of the artist in contemporary Ireland, a series of special bursaries for emerging artists will also be funded. These Bursaries will enable a new generation of artists to develop their practice and provide them with the opportunity to reflect on the role of artists in Irish society in 2016.

Open Call for National Projects
1 million will be available for ambitious projects, in any artform, up to €500,000 and with no lower limit
Closing date for initial applications is 15 April 2015

Artists’ Bursaries 
There will be 16 bursaries, each to the value of €12,500
Closing date for completed bursary applications is 16 July

Touring Programme
An additional allocation will be made to the 2016 Touring and Dissemination of Work Scheme
Closing dates:
7 May 2015 for tours from January to June 2016
3 December 2015 for tours from July to December 2016

Full details for those considering applying are available on the Arts Council website
www.artscouncil.ie/Ireland2016