The Arts Council has announced the recipients of the Invitation to Collaboration Scheme 2019 which will see €350,000 being awarded to five major arts projects around the country, as part of a scheme which promotes ambitious artistic collaboration between local authorities.
Projects that will be funded this year under the scheme include a unique composition for visually impaired musicians with the Irish Memory Orchestra in Clare, intergenerational aerial dance in Limerick, Donegal and Kerry called Bingo Wings and a project exploring creative ageing in Cork in partnership with the national organisation Age and Opportunity.
Some of the projects are ground breaking in terms of their unique ambition such as the Vision Symphony in Clare, which has never been done in Ireland before. Supported by the National Council for the Blind, 3L Music and Arts and Disability Ireland, the project is of national interest as visually impaired musicians can be excluded orchestral experiences because of the requirement to read sheet music. Vision Symphony aims to highlight that learning new music and playing in an orchestra is not just reserved for able bodied musicians. The impact for the participating musicians will be profound; from pure enjoyment and sociability to the personal life enhancing opportunity to be included and to contribute to the artistic repertoire and inclusive wellbeing of the country.
Speaking at the launch on Wednesday 17th of October, in the Irish Aerial Creation Centre in Limerick, Director of the Arts Council, Orlaith McBride said: “We are inspired by the ambition and creativity of the proposals we receive from Local Authorities. Collaboration between the Arts Council and local authorities is where we see public engagement in the arts at its most informed, most considered and most artistically ambitious. I am delighted to confirm today that the Arts Council is providing €350,000 to five worthy projects who each bring something unique to the table. This will benefit arts organisations, artists and the public in 11 counties and cities across Ireland.
The projects highlight the quality of perception and ambition within local authority arts, which have all identified impressive projects and partnerships which will strategically advance the many facets of the arts that they are invested in.
As a public service organisation, we must work better at utilising the rich expertise that exists in these local authority arts offices, and funding large scale projects with a regional focus is an excellent way to do just that”.
