City council gets creative

The Creative Communities Grant Scheme is available to community groups across Cork city, including schools, youth clubs, neighbourhood associations, and cultural or environmental groups. The scheme will also be available for artists and other creatives; however, they will have to have the active support of a community group to be eligible.

Two tiers of funding are available for applicants. The first level will provide €1,500-€3,000 for smaller scale or pilot projects. The second will provide up to €6,000 for larger, ambitious initiatives that could have a "significant reach and impact".

The projects must demonstrate collaboration and align with at least two of the priorities from the Cork City Culture & Creativity Strategy 2023-2027. These priorities include telling ones own story, enriching ones sense of place, supporting creative industry, ambition and risk taking, the promotion of well-being through creative engagement, and being climate active.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said the initiative “champions creativity at the heart of our communities, encouraging projects that inspire artistic expression, strengthen local connections, and deliver meaningful social impact.” Applications must be submitted at corkcity.submit.com by 11 February 2026.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.