Manorhamilton artist workspace gets funding for 2023

The Arts Council, the Irish government agency for developing the arts, is pleased to announce its Visual Artists Workspace Scheme decisions for 2023. 
Among those workspaces/studios funded there is one from Manorhamilton - ^ (caret) who was awarded €9,500.

^ is a group of 4 visual artists that established a workspace in Manorhamilton in Leitrim in 2022. The group’s mission is to experiment with forms of collaboration among group members and with a broader network of colleagues and professionals. They came together as they had a shared area of interests across their practices, and identified a need for studio space in their area for professional practice.

  
Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said: “Artists need good spaces to work in and the studios/workspaces supported through this scheme represent a key component of the critical infrastructure for the visual arts nationally. I’m delighted that we can increase our support by over 50% this year compared to the 2022 funding amount. The scheme, combined with a number of studio and workspace facilities supported through Strategic Funding and Arts Grants, is one of many important funding supports that the Arts Council provides for visual artists working in Ireland today.  Supporting existing workspaces like this is part of our bigger vision which includes the development of a campus for artists at Odlums Flour Mills, a groundbreaking project we’re currently working on with Dublin Port and Grafton Architects.”  
  
In line with Making Great Art Work, the Arts Council’s strategy in leading the development of the arts in Ireland, this scheme offers grants of up to a maximum of €50,000 towards the running costs of visual artists’ workspaces.  
  
Previously the scheme had a cap of €40,000 for applicants. This increased limit acknowledges the rising core costs associated with building-based facilities, such as energy, light and heat. This scheme will provide artist groups and organisations with vital support towards the cost of running their artists workspaces, at a time when artists across Ireland struggle to find and maintain suitable workspaces due to rising costs, short term and insecure tenancy agreements.