Deadline: 28-Sep-20
The Artist in the Community Scheme is funded by the Arts Council and managed by Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts.
The Arts Council offers awards to enable artists and communities of place and/or interest to work together on projects. The Artist in the Community Scheme (AIC) is managed by Create.
The AIC scheme is open to artists from any of the following artform disciplines: architecture, circus, street art and spectacle, dance, film, literature (Irish and English language), music, opera, theatre, visual arts and traditional arts.
The aim of the Artist in the Community Scheme (AIC) is to encourage meaningful collaboration between communities of place and/or interest and artists Proposals should demonstrate a clear description of methodologies for engagement and collaboration that:
- Value the creative contributions of all collaborators while providing opportunities for artistic challenge
- Ensure that the artistic quality and the quality of the engagement between artist and collaborators are both considered at all stages (e.g. in the planning, making, presentation and evaluation of work)
- Demonstrate active support and commitment from all collaborators and partners, including a clear understanding of respective roles and contributions
There are two strands to the scheme
Research & Development Award (Strand One)
- The purpose of the Research & Development Award is to support proposals from professional artists who wish to collaborate artistically with non-arts professionals. It is open to artists who wish to research and develop a project in a community context. This award was introduced to the AIC Scheme to provide the opportunity for artists to explore, test out ideas, or undertake the preliminary development of a project in a community and/or social context (e.g. arts and community, older people, prisons, health, cultural diversity etc).
- It is essential that there is significant contact between the artist and the community with which they intend working; the community must show support for the initiative
- The Research & Development award is open to artists who wish to research and develop a project in a community context
- The Research & Development Award (with Mentoring) is open to artists who wish to develop a community based project and who have identified an artist mentor they want to work with during the research and development period.
- Research & Development Award (with Mentoring) for an artist from a minority ethnic or migrant background- this is an enhanced award, open to artists from a minority ethnic or migrant background, who have identified an artist mentor they want to work with during the research and development period for the purpose of shaping, researching and developing an idea of an artistic project.
- Recent Graduate, Research & Development Award (with Mentoring). This award is open to artists who have recently completed an undergraduate degree programme who are interested in developing a community-based project and have identified an artist mentor they want to work with during the research and development period.
Project Realisation Award (Strand Two)
- The purpose of the Project Realisation Award is to support proposals from communities of place and/or interest groups (non-arts professionals) who want to collaborate artistically with an artist/s.
- The Project Realisation Award is open to communities and groups (or their representative organisations) to undertake an arts project in a community setting or social context (e.g. arts and community, arts and older people, arts in prisons, arts and health, arts and cultural diversity, etc.)
- It is essential that consultation take place between the community and the artist so that both parties are involved in deciding on the nature of the project’s realisation. Group ownership of the art should be maintained at every stage.
- Timeframe 8 to 12 months. Projects are expected to be ambitious, innovative and visionary in concept and execution.
- All artform areas are eligible for AIC Awards – architecture, circus, dance, film, literature, music, opera, street arts + spectacle, theatre, traditional arts and visual arts.
Funding Information
Research & Development Awards
- Research & Development Awards (without mentoring) – maximum award €1,500. The time frame should be no longer than 5 months
- Research & Development Awards (with mentoring) – maximum award €2,000 of which €500 is specifically to engage a mentor for the artist. The time frame should be no longer than 5 months
- Research & Development Award (with mentoring) for an artist from a minority ethnic or migrant background – maximum award €2,750 of which a maximum of €1,000 is specifically to cover the cost of engaging a mentor. The time frame should be no longer than 5 months
- Recent Graduate, Research & Development Award (with Mentoring) – maximum award €2,500 of which a maximum of €750 is specifically to cover the cost of engaging a mentor. The time frame should be no longer than 5 months
Project Realisation Award
- Projects: from 8 months up to 12 months – maximum award €15,000
Eligibility Criteria
The AIC Scheme is open to artists, communities and organisations. To be eligible to apply, applicants must:
- Be resident in the Republic of Ireland. There are certain exceptions where the Arts Council may deem eligible applications made by those based outside the Republic of Ireland. However, before admitting as eligible any such application, the Arts Council would need to be satisfied that the outcomes of any such proposal would benefit the arts in the Republic of Ireland.
The Arts Council is committed to equity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from individuals or groups within culturally diverse communities and from people with disabilities.
- Research & Development Award (with Mentoring) for an artist from a minority ethnic or migrant background – Any Artist based in the Republic of Ireland who is from a minority ethnic or migrant background, including people in need of international protection, living in direct provision or other accommodation may apply for this award. If artists do not have the right to work please contact Create for advice on applications.
- Recent Graduate, Research & Development Award (with Mentoring) – Recent Graduate artists are defined as those, of any age, who have graduated from an undergraduate degree programme in the arts in the past three years and are interested in developing or exploring or are establishing a professional career in collaborative arts practice. This award specifically targets emerging artists / practitioners who have completed their undergraduate degree and who are not in postgraduate studies at the time of the award.
For more information, visit http://www.artscouncil.ie/Funds/Artist-in-the-community-scheme/