By Business & Finance 
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys TD with the RTÉ Cór na nÓg choir
The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys TD has announced a €9m investment scheme for arts and cultural centres.
The scheme will run over the next three years and is focused on upgrading the existing stock of arts and cultural centres around the country.
The scheme will target investment at a range of different facilities, such as the refurbishment and enhancement of existing purpose-built arts and cultural facilities, with maximum grants of €300,000.
Eligible facilities would include arts centres, theatres, galleries, museums, artists’ studios and creative spaces. It is envisaged that 15 to 20 facilities would benefit from this stream of funding.
Ideally, projects seeking this stream of funding would have financial support from the relevant local authority.
Speaking today Minister Humphreys said: “There is a comprehensive network of arts and cultural facilities across the country, providing a wonderful service to their local communities and of course acting as a draw for tourists. I have visited a number of these facilities over the last year or so, and I am very aware that many of them are in need of investment.
“Thanks to the economic recovery, my department now has the resources to invest in these facilities. It is my priority to target investment at existing facilities, to bring the current stock of arts centres up to standard. This €9m scheme will run over the next three years, and we have designed it in such a way that venues of varying size and purpose will benefit.
“It is my hope that this funding will allow for a number of arts and cultural centres to be transformed, much to the benefit of their local community and indeed to the staff members who kept the facilities going when resources were scarce. This new €9m cultural investment scheme will ensure that smaller, regional venues also feel the benefit as the economy continues to improve and that local arts provision is supported.”
Full details of the scheme and applications guidelines will be made available in the coming weeks.
