€275,500 Arts Council funding for two Mayo art centres

TWO arts centres in Mayo are to receive funding in excess of €275,000.

The Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar will receive local Arts Council funding of €225,000, while a further €50,500 has been awarded to Ballina Arts Centre, Deputy Alan Dillon has confirmed.

He commented: “It is excellent to see this funding being announced by the Arts Council and only forms their first round of investments this year.

“This funding, in excess of quarter of a million euro, will certainly benefit the excellent work being done to lift the spirits of Mayo communities throughout the pandemic. It is excellent news locally for the Linenhall Arts Centre and Ballina Arts Centre.”

The funding is part of a €7.8 million allocation benefiting 43 centres across the country.

The Arts Council, he added, has said that in the weeks ahead, it would award around €10.7 million to arts organisations through its Arts Grant Funding programme. This will also be supplemented by €2 million in smaller festivals in almost every county from its Festivals Investment Scheme; and a range of other supports for arts organisations struggling to survive the Covid-19 pandemic.

For individual artists, there will be some €10.5 million in bursaries, €5.6 million through a new Agility Award, as well increased funding for commissions and projects.