Arts Festival Support Programme

Arts Festival Support Programme

Closing Date: CLOSED

Leitrim County Council provides funding to organisations in Leitrim who produce high-quality festivals that provide valuable opportunities for both residents or visitors to come together and explore new experiences.

Festivals can have countless origins and purposes from specialist festivals such as theatre, music, food or fishing, where the desire to present these events in Leitrim is the principal motivation, to community festivals where the opportunity for people to come together and celebrate within their own community is the central purpose and the programme of the festival the means to do that.

Most festivals will have a healthy balance of both, ensuring a high-quality programme, connecting well to their own communities, with many festivals implementing strong marketing strategies that drive tourism in the region.

Leitrim County Council has three separate sources of investment for festivals – Tourism, Arts, and Community – which it advertises at the same time so that applicants can look at the different priorities, requirements and assessment criteria for each stream before choosing which strand is the most appropriate one for them to pursue.

Festivals seeking funding under the Arts Strand should have a clear mission and purpose that can provide audiences in the county with access to innovative and high-quality arts programming. In particular under that arts strand, the council is looking to support a number of arts festivals that collectively address different artforms and locations across the county. Applicants may be single artform festivals (e.g., literature, music, theatre, visual arts, dance, film, traditional arts, performance art, street arts etc.) or multidisciplinary arts festivals that programme across different artforms and different areas of arts practice.

With the support of the Arts Council, Leitrim County Council Arts Office provides financial support to Arts Festivals that:

  • provide opportunities for the public access to high quality arts events
  • develop the work of artists and/or the development of artforms
  • have a long-term strategy that considers programme, audience and festival management

What can I apply for?

All costs incurred in the presentation of festivals including but not limited to -

  • Personnel Costs including fees for artists, producers, directors, technicians etc.
  • Production Costs including staging, sound/lighting hire, transport, sets, costumes etc.
  • Marketing and PR
  • Venue Hire
  • Health & Safety/Security
  • Insurance

Assessment of Applications

Proposals are assessed on:

  • The quality of the programme and programming policy
  • The approach to audience engagement
  • The knowledge and experience of the team who will manage the festival
  • Good event management planning
  • Track record – how well previous projects have been programmed and implemented.
Please note the following:
  • Applications from individuals will not be considered.
  • Organisations conducting arts events/activities that involve children or young people under 18 years must have and implement a Child Protection and Welfare Policy that adheres to current guidelines and legislation.
  • Recipients of grant aid must acknowledge the sponsorship role of Leitrim County Council by including the Leitrim County Council logo on all websites, brochures, posters and programmes.
Payment of Grants
  • Awards may range in value up to a maximum of €5,000. While there is no fixed number of awards, there is generally a larger number of lesser value awards and a small number of higher value ones. The quantity and value of awards will depend on available resources, number of applicants and the quality of applications.
  • Payment to successful applicants will be made by electronic fund transfer only. Recipients may draw down 70% of funding upon confirmation of final programme details, budget and schedule and detailed Event Management Plan.
  • The remaining 30% may be drawn down following the public presentation of the project, and submission of a short report along with documentation (photographs, video, press reviews etc.), and final accounts.
How do I apply?

Applications may be made online only through the link below.

Please note that the following attachments are essential, and you will need to have them ready to upload for your online application to be submitted successfully.

  • CVs or biographies of the artists for which funding is sought
  • Preliminary Event Management Plan or Preliminary Venue Agreement(s) (templates provided)
  • Copy of Child Protection Policy (if festival involves events with or for children)

Optional Appendices include

  • Detailed Income and Expenditure Budget
  • Press or marketing material relating to artists
  • Press or marketing material relating to previous events
  • any other information you consider relevant

For further information and technical support contact 071 96 21694 or email arts@leitrimcoco.ie 
DOWNLOAD PRELIMINARY EVENT MANAGEMENT PLAN
DOWNLOAD PRELIMINARY VENUE AGREEMENT
DOWNLOAD PROGRAMME TERMS & CONDITION

If your festival is more suited to Community or Tourism, please follow the links below –
Community Festivals
Tourism Festivals

CLOSED FOR APPLICATIONS