The Minister for Arts and Culture Catherine Martin has today announced €25 million in funding to assist commercial venues, producers and promoters to plan live performances across the country over the summer months, with a total of 237 organisations benefitting from the scheme.
This scheme is part of a €50 million suite of measures to support the live entertainment sector and follows exceptional demand and very successful outcomes of the €5 million pilot Live Performance Support Scheme.
The scheme aims to support live performances particularly where capacity for live attendance is restricted due to Covid-19, and where funding will make live performances viable or alternatively make them available online if audiences cannot attend due to restrictions.
There was over 400 applications submitted for consideration. Recipients of funding range from small to large venues, producers and promoters, supporting live events in every county, including festivals, concerts, theatre productions, comedy and outdoor events.
The funding will facilitate the delivery of the full exciting programme of activities over the coming summer and autumn period. The department will support those in receipt of grants to ensure that funding flows to the performers and crew as early as possible.
Electric Picnic, Body and Soul, Sea Sessions and PaircLife by Indiependence are among the festivals to get funding.
It also includes money to hold events at the Olympia, the Gaiety and Bord Gais theatres along with funding for a number of touring circuses.
Minister for Arts and Culture Catherine Martin says small and large events will be funded:
“I am very pleased to announce this funding, which will encompass and support a wide range of performances over the coming summer months. I know this funding will assist in the employment of performers, artists, technicians, creative and performance support staff across the sector, bringing much-needed employment to many who have not had work for many, many months. I look forward to the high quality artistic output, as demonstrated in the pilot, which has been so important and enjoyed by so many.
“I have recently provided a further €5m under the Local Live Performance Programming Scheme for local authorities to engage local performers and crew to stage live performances in their areas, creating further employment opportunities over the coming months.”
Today I've announced 237 recipients of the €25m Live Performance Support Scheme fund who'll stage a broad variety of concerts, festivals & live events 🎶🩰🎭
This will support performers and crew creating much needed employment for the sector #LPSS
https://t.co/EdvvkUnxg7 pic.twitter.com/dHYkuTaARN— Catherine Martin TD (@cathmartingreen) June 15, 2021
