The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’ Brien TD, have announced funding of €6.6 million for the 2022 Creative Ireland Programme Creative Communities initiative. This partnership between the departments and all 31 local authorities is being enabled through the Creative Ireland Programme. 

In 2021 this enabled local authorities to deliver nearly 1,500 community-led creative projects. This funding has proven to be an important and flexible resource that has enabled local authorities to sustain and develop vibrant creative communities.

This funding includes planning for an enhanced Cruinniú na nÓg – Ireland’s national day celebrating young people’s creativity in June 2022. There will also be projects around Creativity in Older Age with opportunities for older people to participate in creative activities. Finally, Creative Climate Action projects, in partnership with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, will use the talents of artists and the wider creative industries to connect people with profound changes happening in our environment, society and economy arising from climate change.

The ambition of the Creative Ireland Programme is to mainstream creativity in the life of the nation. Participation in cultural and creative activity promotes individual, community and national wellbeing.

Creative Communities is a collaboration, between central and local government, between culture and industry, between artists, policy makers and communities.

Since the programme was launched in 2017, there has been an investment of €21 million from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in Creative Ireland initiatives undertaken by local authorities.

Speaking today, Minister Martin said:

 “I am delighted to continue to support the excellent work undertaken by local authorities on behalf of the Creative Ireland Programme. Since the inception of Creative Ireland, our partners in local government have been key to the delivery of creative projects that promote an improved sense of wellbeing, social connections and economic development within their communities. Through these projects, local authorities have been able to create exciting and constructive opportunities for people and communities. I want to congratulate our local authority partners for their energy and creativity in delivering so many wonderful projects that sustain and enhance the lives of everyone in their communities.”

"Through these projects, local authorities have been able to create exciting and constructive opportunities for people and communities"

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, added:

“Local authorities have extensive expertise across heritage, arts, libraries as well as vital local relationships. I firmly believe that culture plays a key role in local government’s work in creating great places to live and work. Creative Communities takes this a step further. Culture and creativity can be part of responses to social isolation, to creating a sense of place and to integrating new communities.”

Community Time Machine | Creative Ireland Wicklow | Image by Madeline Mulqueen

Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke, TD, said:

“Our local authorities are the closest arm of the State to our citizens and are well placed to engage directly with local artists and community groups. Through the PPN and other statutory committees and vehicles, they are linked in with our older people, members of the traveller community, community and voluntary groups and key stakeholders in every locality in the country. This scheme is wide reaching, and as a Government we want all members of society to have equal access to cultural and creative opportunities.”