Arts Council’s making space for art

5 Cork studios will benefit from major funding as part of a scheme supporting artists' workspaces throughout the country.

The €695,000 funding was announced by the Arts Council late last week and will be delivered through its Visual Artists Workspace Scheme 2023. The 5 Cork studios are Working Artist Studios (€13,605), Backwater Artists Group (€50,000), Cork Artists' Collective Ltd (€23,340), Over The Line Studios (€12,800), and Sample Studios (€50,000).

The scheme aims to provide the best possible working environment for visual artists and, where feasible, to enable a level of subsidy for the artists working within these spaces.

The funds will be distributed to 30 studios and workspaces in total across 13 counties, supporting facilities for 950 individual practicing visual artists. This is an increase on 839 individuals and €460,000 funding in 2022.

Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said: “Artists need good spaces to work in and the studios/workspaces supported through this scheme represent a key component of the critical infrastructure for the visual arts nationally.

“I’m delighted that we can increase our support by over 50% this year compared to the 2022 funding amount.” The Visual Artists Workspace Scheme 2023 offers grants of up to a maximum of €50,000 towards the running costs of visual artists’ workspaces. Previously the scheme had a cap of €40,000 for applicants.

The increased cap acknowledges the rising core costs associated with building-based facilities such as energy, light and heat.

The scheme will provide artist groups and organisations with vital support towards the cost of running their artists workspaces, at a time when artists across Ireland struggle to find and maintain suitable workspaces due to rising costs, short term and insecure tenancy agreements.