I am very pleased that the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has announced a total of €15,500 in funding for small festivals and summer schools in Galway.
The allocations are designed to help small festivals and summer schools that would not be eligible under funding criteria for larger festivals, such as those supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council and similar bodies.
There was unprecedented demand for funding this year for the Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Fund. Nationally there were 109 applications as opposed to 20 applications when the fund was launched in 2016. I want to congratulate all those who have been successful in receiving allocations.
Galway events receiving funding were: Athenry Music, Arts and Drama Festival; Criunniu na mBad, Kinvara; the Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna, for a summer school on the history, folklore and culture of the region; Carrabane Community Arts Festival; Woodford Furnace Festival; Feile Cheoil Larry Reynolds, Ballinasloe; and Oranmore Arts Festival.
The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht allocated a total of €110,000 in funding nationally with a maximum allocation per event set at €5,000.