Creative Bursaries Scheme

Creative Bursaries Scheme

The Creative Bursaries Scheme aligns and streamlines the supports offered by Clare County Council to artists (established and emerging) and arts participants, across all artforms.

The scheme is offered by Clare County Council as it aligns to Flourish – Clare Arts Development Plan and our mission to
• Provide open and accessible opportunities for all
• Offer strategic support for artists
• Foster continued appreciation and development of the arts

Online Q&A session will be held Wednesday 26th at 10am. Email arts@clarecoco.ie to register your interest.

There are two strands to the scheme. You can only apply to one.

• Strand 1: Creative Bursaries for Community Members
• Strand 2: Creative Bursaries for Arts Practitioners (artists and creatives earning income from their creative activities)

Strand 1: Creative Bursaries for Community Members

The scheme intends to

recognise the huge talent pool within our local community. From talented young performers to stalwarts of the amateur drama circuit, this scheme aims to support the participation of people from Clare at summer schools, gatherings and events.

Only one application per event/school will be successful (eg if more than one person applies for the same event/school, only one application will be selected).

We welcome applications from individuals (regardless of age) from the community, amateur or voluntary sectors. Young people attending high quality summer schools are also welcome to apply.

Previous bursary recipients may apply but priority will be given to those who have not been supported previously and those who may face barriers to participation in such events. The scheme is only open to those not generating an income from the artistic endeavours – all others should apply through the Creative Bursaries for Arts Practitioners.

Previous supports included:

• Attendance at the Drama League of Ireland Summer School
• Attendance at the Irish Youth Choir Summer School.

Potential items could be (not limited to):

• Attendance at Meitheal Summer School, Blas Summer School, Willie Clancy Summer School
• Attendance at drama workshops, writing workshops, visual art workshops delivered by professional artists or arts organisations.

Strand 2: Creative Bursaries for Arts Practitioners .

The scheme intends to

provide opportunities and support for artists and creative practitioners and producers to assist them with the production of their artworks. We will interpret this as broadly as possible to include (but not limit to)

• assistance with the cost of materials and equipment. A limit of €500 will apply and will be paid to applicants on receipt of paid invoices and receipts.
• assistance with the cost for professional development eg. attendance at courses, residencies, networking events, conferences etc. Payment will be made directly to the course – not to the artist. Travel to attend events will only be considered in exceptional circumstances so please ensure how you will travel to the event before applying.
• Assistance with research and development to include research trips, paid art development days, etc. A limit of €500 will apply and will be paid to applicants on receipt of paid invoices and receipts.

Previous items supported included:

• Art Materials (max amount €500)
• Payment for Creation Days – time and space to work on creating art (max amount €500)
• Residencies at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre (payment will be made to Centre directly)
• Courses and workshops at the Burren College of Art (payment will be made to College directly).
• Mentoring with the Irish Writers Centre
• Attendance at national and international specialist professional development workshops

Potential items could be (not limited to):

• Attendance at Theatre Forum’s Gathering 2025
• Residency at Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris
• Bealtaine Bursary at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre
• Children’s Books Ireland Bursary at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre

It is the artists responsibility to apply to the relevant organisations for bursarys/residencies/courses in advance of making an application.

Artists should be registered on the artists directory at www.clarearts.ie

CRITERIA

1. The bursaries are open across all art forms (as defined by the 2003 Arts Act)
2. All applicants must be living in County Clare.
3. Creative Practitioners should be listed on the artists showcase at www.clarearts.ie.
4. Community Members must submit

• Proof from the organisation that they have been accepted on to a course / offered an opportunity etc or
• A reference from a teacher (eg in the case of music summer schools) as to why they should receive a bursary

5. All activities must be completed no later than November 20^th, 2025.
6. All recipients must submit a short testimonial as to how the bursary has assisted them on completion of their bursary activity.
7. All recipients must provide proof of how they have been supported by the Arts Office of Clare County Council
8. Positive weighting will be applied to applicants who demonstrate barriers to participation.
9. Previous bursary winners may reapply but positive weighting will be applied to applicants who have not previously received bursary support from the Arts Office.

ASSESSMENT

On assessing your application we will take the following into account:

• Track Record / Potential of Applicant (35 marks)
• What do you hope to achieve with the Bursary and its importance to your delvelopment (65 marks)
• Barriers to participation (if applicable)

We are very conscious that one size will not fill all and that each application will vary considerably in terms of its scope and scale. If there is something we have not covered, or something you have a burning desire to let us know, please include it in the application or upload it with your application.

An independent panel will assess your application. Please do not assume that they will be familiar with your work.