The Castleisland based Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival is the sole, local beneficiary of the 2025 Creative Communities Grant – the festival was granted €1,000.
This year, Kerry County Council’s Creative Ireland Office received fifty-seven applications in response to a call for grants to support creativity in communities throughout Kerry.
To grow awareness of this funding opportunity, Emma Carmody, the Creative Communities engagement officer, with Creative Ireland Kerry, hosted meetings in libraries and co-hosted an online information session with Kerry’s Creative Ireland coordinator, Kate Kennelly.
“Being available to meet in the various libraries raised awareness of the grant, and created more interest at local level,” said Emma.
Many Interesting People
“I met many interesting people, from many communities and all brought good ideas to the table. Their ideas explored creativity as being central to a positive experience for participants, in line with our strategy,” she said.
The team at the Creative Ireland Kerry/ Arts Office also co-ordinate Kerry’s Cruinniú na nÓg and oversees targeted programmes such as the Film Maker in Residence, and a Creative Health and Well-being project Weaving Worlds Together.
The Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr. Breandán Fitzgerald acknowledged the importance of this funding stream:
“Creative Ireland Kerry’s support for creative activity across communities, plays a valuable role in sustaining our culture and sense of community,” he said.
High Standard of Application
For this grant scheme, funding was awarded where the key objectives of the Kerry Creativity and Cultural Strategy were met.
The standard of application was extremely high, and thirty-two applicants were awarded funding of over €113,000.
A priority of the funding is to ensure people, of all ages and abilities, can engage with creativity towards enhancing well-being.
“In addition ensuring creative practitioners based in Kerry are supported is key to our overall programme delivery, as we work collectively to grow the creative ecology in Kerry,” said Kate Kennelly.
Information Links
Nationally, local authorities partner with Creative Ireland in the delivery of pillar two of the interdepartmental, all of Government Creative Ireland programme, under the strand of Creative Communities.
The Creative Communities Grants are funded by Creative Ireland and managed through the Creative Ireland Kerry/ Arts Office of Kerry County Council.
Full details of the Creative Ireland Program are available on www.creativeireland.gov.ie and details of the Kerry programme are available on: https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/kerry/
Queries to Kate and Emma on 066 7183541 or arts@kerrycoco.ie
You can contact The Maine Valley Post on… Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467.
