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Nominations Open for Commissions Award in Ireland

Deadline: 23-Feb-23

The Arts Council is inviting nominations for the Commissions Award to enable the commissioning of new work from freelance artists.

In general, the finished work may be in a form capable of being presented, exhibited, published, performed and/or disseminated in its entirety at the point of completion, or it may be capable of being presented as a work-in-progress, either live or online. Please see the artform/arts area specific guidance for the priorities for the award in each area.

Award Strands

  • Strand 1: Artform commissions

    • Commissions can be applied for in the areas of:

      • Dance
      • Music
      • Opera
      • Traditional Arts
    • This means that any applicant, whether an organisation or an individual, can apply to commission an artist working within one of these artform areas.
  • Strand 2: Cross-arts-area commissions

    • In order to assist with the animation of arts organisations working across different artforms and with the commissioning of work by artists working in particular contexts, the award is open to organisations in the following categories:

      • Festivals
    • In these cases, organisations can apply to commission an artist working in any artform, with the exception of festivals applying for a commission in Dance, Music, Opera or Traditional Arts, which should apply directly to those artforms in Strand 1. The application will be assessed primarily in relation to the context in which the commission is proposed. The Arts Council’s artform specialists will provide a secondary comment where their artform is integral to the proposal.
Priorities
  • Strand 1: Artform commissions

    • Dance

      • In Dance, potential commissions could be those that:

        • Enable an individual artist or organisation to commission a choreographer to create a new work for a specific project or performance(s)
        • Enable an individual artist or organisation to commission a composer/sound designer to write a score/design the sound for a new dance work/project
        • Enable a dance company or resource agency to mentor and produce a commissioned artist
        • Facilitate collaborations between dance and film
        • Foster new, experimental and collaborative ways of making and presenting dance.
      • The award prioritises applications that:

        • Support the creation of new dance works that demonstrate excellence in artists’ practice
        • Foster a collaborative creative process/mentorship between the commissioner and the commissioned artist(s)
        • Demonstrate the artistic significance of the project and its importance to the artistic development of the commissioned artist
        • Will lead to the development of ambitious, high-quality dance works that can also be appreciated by a wider public.
    • Music

      • In Music, potential commissions could be those that:

        • Enable individual performers/ensembles to commission a composer or composers to write a new work for a specific performance or specific performances and/or published recording(s) and/or broadcasts
        • Enable promoters, venues or festivals to commission works for Irish or international performing artists for performance at their events
        • Foster new or experimental ways of creating and presenting musical works.
      • The award prioritises applications that:

        • Propose commissions of high artistic quality, in particular from Irish composers
        • Are planned to reach significant audiences through live performance, broadcast, recording and/or other audience channels, with a particular (though not necessarily exclusive) emphasis on audiences in Ireland
        • Provide for an extended life (further performances and/or extended public reach, digital dissemination, etc.) and impact for the work or project that has been created
        • Demonstrate a strong collaborative-engagement process between the commissioner, performers, audience and the commissioned artist(s) in the development and presentation of the new work
        • Demonstrate innovation and deepen the experience and understanding of the artform
        • Are from new types of commissioners, including non-professional performers of high standard.
    • Opera

      • In Opera, potential commissions could be those that:

        • Enable opera producers to commission a composer and/or librettist to write a new work for a specific performance or specific performances and/or published recording(s) and/or broadcasts and/or other means of public dissemination
        • Foster new or experimental ways of creating and presenting opera.
      • The award prioritises applications that:

        • Propose commissions of high artistic quality, in particular from Irish composers and librettists
        • Are planned to reach significant audiences through live performance, broadcast, recording and/or other audience channels, with a particular (though not necessarily exclusive) emphasis on audiences in Ireland
        • Demonstrate a strong collaborative engagement process between the commissioner, performers, audience and the commissioned artist(s)in the development and dissemination of the new work
        • Demonstrate innovation, new or experimental ways of conceiving and presenting opera, and/or deepen the experience and understanding of the artform
        • Are from new types of commissioners, including non-professional performers of high standard
        • Provide for an extended life (further performances and/or extended public reach, digital dissemination, etc.) and impact for the work or project that has been created.
    • Traditional Arts

      • In Traditional Arts, potential commissions could be those that involve individuals, groups/bands, organisations, promoters, arts centres or festivals commissioning:

        • A traditional artist (with a proven track record or with potential) to compose a new work or a new work that derives from the traditional repertoire
        • A work for solo and/or ensemble performance by established and/or emerging and/or young artists
        • A collaboration between the traditional arts and other artforms
        • A collaboration between Irish and international artists in the creation of a work
        • A work for performance within Ireland or internationally.
      • The award prioritises applications that:

        • Provide for an extended life for the work or project that has been created
        • Demonstrate a strong collaborative process between the commissioner and the commissioned artist(s) across all aspects of the project
        • Plan to reach significant audiences through live performance, broadcast, recording , and/or other audience channels
        • Are from new types of commissioners
        • Demonstrate innovation and deepen the experience and understanding of the artform.
  • Strand 2: Cross-arts-area commissions

    • Festivals

      • For Festivals, potential commissions could be those that:

        • Enable a festival to introduce/test a new strand of programming or support the development of an existing strand of programming by commissioning new ambitious work for festival audiences
        • Provide opportunities and an environment for interdisciplinary experimentation between different artforms, supporting artists to develop formally ambitious new work
        • Enable new collaborations that develop the artistic practice of the artist and the artistic programming practice of the commissioning organisation
        • Will lead to the development of ambitious, high-quality artistic works that can also be appreciated by a wider public
    • The award prioritises applications that:

      • Enable commissions that foster the growth and development of street-and-spectacle artists and that support opportunities to test and present work to audiences
      • Enable artists from diverse backgrounds to be commissioned to create new and ambitious work for festival audiences
      • Provide opportunities for artists to co-author new work in collaboration with the public, establishing new collaborative partnerships for artists as well as diversified approaches to creating art.
      • Low priorities for this award include:
      • Regular or repetitive commissioning partnerships that do not foster the development of the artist or the artistic practice of the commissioning organisation.
    • Young People, Children and Education (YPCE)

      • Within the YPCE area, potential commissions could be those that:

        • Enable an organisation that works with young people – e.g. school, hospital, youth work, early learning, or other education setting – to commission an artist to create ambitious new work with and for the children and young people in that setting
        • Enable an arts organisation to commission work for young people from artists they have not previously commissioned. This could include commissioning work from young and emerging artists; artists from communities that have been under-represented in the organisation’s work to date; and/or artists working in a way that is new to the organisation’s work.
      • The award prioritises applications that:

        • Enable new collaborations that push the artistic practice of the artist and the commissioning organisation
        • Will ensure a rich artistic engagement for young people in the development and enjoyment of the commissioned work
        • Provide meaningful opportunities for young people to have a voice in the development of commissions – this may include children co-creating work and/or providing advice to ensure the work is resonant and relevant for young people
        • Will lead to the development of ambitious, high-quality artistic work that resonates with the people in the setting in which it has been commissioned (i.e. those who will engage most directly or frequently with the work) and which can also be appreciated by a wider public
        • Enable artists from diverse backgrounds to be commissioned to create new and ambitious work with and for young people
        • Ensure young people from diverse backgrounds can participate in the development and enjoyment of the work
        • Provide appropriate mentorship or other relevant supports for the commissioned artist to support them in the development of new, ambitious work for young people
        • Leverage additional investment in the commissioning of artistic work for young people – this may include in-kind support provided by the commissioning organisation.
Funding Information
  • Strand 1: Artform commissions

    • Dance- The maximum amount that may be awarded to each successful applicant is: €15,000.
    • Music- The maximum amount that may be awarded to each successful applicant is: €17,000.
    • Opera- The maximum amount that may be awarded to each successful applicant is: €45,000.
    • Traditional Arts- The maximum amount that may be awarded to each successful applicant is: €13,000.
  • Strand 2: Cross-arts-area commissions

    • Festivals- The maximum amount that may be awarded to each successful applicant is: €15,000.
    • Young People, Children and Education (YPCE)- The maximum amount that may be awarded to each successful applicant is: €15,000.
Eligibility Criteria
  • The Commissions Award is open to organisations2 and individuals to apply to commission an artist or artists.
  • Applicants may only submit one application for a single commission only. (In the case of Music and Opera, applicants may submit one application for a single commission or multiple commissions within the maximum funding award limit.)
  • Applications can only be made by the commissioner, and not by the artist(s) to be commissioned.
  • Organisations based outside the Republic of Ireland are eligible to apply if they are commissioning an Irish-born or Irish-resident artist. Similarly, Irish-based organisations may commission artists from outside Ireland – however, in such cases the commissioned work must be for the ultimate benefit of Irish audiences.
Ineligible
  • Those who cannot apply to this award include the following:

    • Organisations in receipt of Strategic Funding, Partnership Funding or Arts Centre Funding may not apply to:

      • Strand 1: Artform commissions in Music and Opera
      • Strand 2: Cross-arts-areas commissions in Festivals
      • Organisations applying to commission an artist who is an employee of that organisation
      • Individual artists applying to commission themselves.

For more information, visit Commissions Award.