The Arts Council Music Project Award (Ireland)

Objectives and Priorities of the Award

The award supports specific projects in the field of Music.

• There are three strands to the award:
  • Strand 1: Projects devised for live-attendance performance(s), possibly extending public reach through broadcast, online or other audience channels – e.g. a public concert in a venue that might or might not also be recorded for broadcast and/or for dissemination on website(s), social media or other platform(s).
  • Strand 2: Projects devised exclusively for public dissemination via broadcast, online or other channels – i.e. where a musical output is produced for audiences, but where a live audience is not involved.
  • Strand 3: Audio recording projects devised in association with record companies for dissemination through digital platforms and/or through physical copies.
• The Arts Council has identified the following as strategic priorities for support through this award:
  • High-quality music projects that engage professional artists of high quality and demonstrate a strong and imaginative approach
  • Music projects that show a clear and considered focus on maximising public reach and engagement, and on engaging and developing new audiences
  • Projects that involve the creation and/or presentation of new work, or that feature performance/recording of historic Irish music
  • Recording projects of high artistic quality for which self-financing commercial revenue potential is unlikely.
• Note: musicians working in the area of traditional music are advised to apply to the dedicated awards offered via Traditional Arts.

Funding Information

• There are three strands of funding available:
  • Strand 1: Up to €40,000
  • Strand 2: Up to €10,000
  • Strand 3: Up to €10,000
• You may apply for up to a maximum of €40,000 for strand 1, and a maximum of €10,000 for strands 2 and 3.
• You may apply for support under only one strand of the award.
• In addition to the normal limits stated above, the Arts Council will also consider costs specifically relating to the making of work by artists with disabilities. If you wish to apply for additional funding on this basis, you should provide information with your application outlining what these additional costs are.

Eligibility Criteria

• The award is open to individuals and organisations working in music. To be eligible to apply, applicants must:
  • Be resident in the Republic of Ireland. There are certain exceptions where the Arts Council may deem eligible applications made by those based outside the Republic of Ireland. However, before admitting as eligible any such application, the applicant would need to explicitly outline within the application how the outcomes of any such proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland, and the Arts Council must be satisfied with same.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Applicants who are not eligible to apply include the following:
  • Organisations currently in receipt of funding under the following Arts Council programmes: Strategic Funding, Arts Centre Funding, Partnership Funding – though the involvement of such organisations as partners is welcome
  • Individuals who work on an ongoing basis with organisations funded through any of the above programmes
  • Organisations or individuals in receipt of 2024 Arts Grant Funding
  • National Cultural Institutions (or their Council members) directly funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
  • Individuals or organisations who do not have a demonstrable track record as professional artists or organisations
  • Individuals currently in undergraduate education (including those undertaking foundation courses) or who will be during the period for which this award is offered
  • Individuals seeking support towards fees for postgraduate (including unaccredited)/higher education or study.

For more information, visit The Arts Council.