The Laois Arts Office has notified that applications are now open for the Creative Ireland grant fund in the county.
Laois has been allocated €111,774 for the Creative Ireland Programme in 2019 by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Under the grants aspect of the funding the level of assistance for any one project will range from €500 to €3,000.
The closing date for submissions to the Arts Office at County Hall is April 11. All qualifying and successful grant aided projects must be completed by November 15 this year.
Creative Ireland is a five-year initiative built around a number of strategic objectives.
They are to enable creative potential in every child; enabling creativity in every community; invest in our creative and cultural infrastructure and in a larger context to make Ireland a centre of excellence in media production and to unify our global reputation.
Successful applications will have to illustrate how their projects show collaboration in the arts, heritage and culture and verify their capacity to deliver on such objectives.
The grant funded projects will also have to show the extent to which they connect with people and maximise community engagement and the feasibility of the project for it to be completed within 2019.
The grant scheme is open to groups or organisations that are organising community events, activities or projects in 2019.
To be eligible for funding the project must be based in County Laois, and be a new project or event or an addition to an existing project of event.
Those interested can apply to Laois County council for the application form.
The completed form should be sent to: The Arts Office, Laois County Council, Áras an Chontae, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. A signed version of the application may be scanned and emailed, with the appropriate signatures, to artsoff@laoiscoco.ie.
Again, a reminder that the closing date for the receipt of applications is Thursday, April 11.
