Deis Traditional Arts Funding Increases by 22%
According to figures in the Arts Council’s latest annual report, funding for the Deis traditional arts scheme increased by 22% last year to €233,575, up from €191,947 in 2014.
Thirty-seven artists, groups and organisations were recipients of the award in 2015, including the Axis Arts Centre (€16,000), Thomas Johnston (€14,630), and the Historical Harp Society of Ireland (€13,720).
Although a substantial increase on 2014, the 2015 figure for the Deis scheme is significantly lower than the 2008 figure of €700,000 – the highest amount awarded in one year since the scheme was set up in 2005. The annual budgets for the Deis scheme since 2005 can be seen below:
2005 – €70,500 (pilot year)
2006 – €609,939
2007 – €604,370
2008 – €700,000
2009 – €418,110
2010 – €351,038
2011 – €408,004
2012 – €381,388
2013 – €260,235
2014 – €191,947
2015 – €233,575
According to the Arts Council website, traditional arts also benefited from the following schemes in 2015: Regularly Funded Organisations (€943,250), Annual Funding (€133,130), Annual Programming (€68,800), Touring and Dissemination of Work (€60,851), Bursary Award (€34,377), and Traditional Arts Commissions Award (€18,000).
Other traditional music initiatives in 2015 included the second collaboration between the Arts Council and the National Concert Hall titled Tradition Now (€31,500), the appointment of Desi Wilkinson as Traditional Artist in Residence in UCC (€10,000) – following the tenures of Niall Vallely and Iarla Ó Lionáird in the previous two years, and publication of the 2014 Arts Council-commissioned Report on the Harping Tradition in Ireland (€12,000 in 2014).
The full list of 2015 Deis recipients can be seen below. To view the Arts Council’s 2015 annual report, visit https://goo.gl/Io8zZ6
DEIS RECIPIENTS (2015)
Axis Arts Centre, Ballymun
€16,000
Thomas Johnston
€14,630
Historical Harp Society of Ireland
€13,720
Coiste Scoil Cheoil na Botha
€11,675
Freda Nic Giolla Chatháin
€10,000
The Nest Collective
€9,875
Cormac Breatnach
€9,740
Deirdre Granville
€9,650
The Memory Ensemble
€9,550
Paul O’Shaughnessy
€9,250
€8,450
Deirdre Ní Chonghaile
€7,500
Aileen Lambert
€7,490
Damien McGeehan
€7,157
Michael Holohan
€7,000
Wexford Arts Centre
€6,990
Patrick McCabe
€6,000
Oireachtas na Gaeilge
€5,520
Coyne, Éamonn
€4,500
Comhlacht Forbatha na nDeise
€4,380
Bryan O’Leary and Colm Guilfoyle
€4,000
Stephanie Geremia
€4,000
Róisín McGrory
€4,000
Liam Kelly
€4,000
Tunes in the Church
€4,000
Jack Talty
€4,000
Jesse Smith
€4,000
Séamus Ó Rócháin
€4,000
Paul De Grae
€3,500
Danny Diamond
€3,390
Bruach na Carraige
€3,200
Clann Mhic Ruairí
€3,200
Francesco Turrisi
€3,000
Edwina Guckian
€2,373
Emmett Gill
€1,935
Inishbofin National School
€1,600
Carmen Cullen
€300
For more, visit www.artscouncil.ie