The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has just launched a new fund for creative projects to create positive change in relation to the climate crisis. ‘Creative Climate Action’ has a total budget of €2 million that will fund projects over the next two years. 

The fund aims to support local authorities and creative practitioners in new projects that will connect audiences with the severity of the climate crisis and the changes it is causing in our environment, society and economy. The fund is open to a wide variety of artforms and mediums including music, dance, film, literature, opera, architecture, street arts and spectacle, theatre, traditional arts, visual arts, cultural heritage, and more. 

In addition to the need for raising awareness about the prevalence of climate change, Creative Climate Action also aims to support projects that facilitate change; involve collaboration with different disciplines such as science, technology and engineering; reach new audiences; encourage participation; lead by example and involve environmentally conscious productions.

Applicants can apply for funding between €30,000 and €200,000. The deadline is 21 May.

Commenting on the new fund, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, said:

This unique fund is a call to arms for the arts, culture, heritage and wider creative communities to engage the public on the climate crisis. If climate change is essentially all about cultural change, then who better than the cultural and creative world to take this on. Artists, designers, cultural and creative practitioners, who live and work through creative practice, are good at making things visible, starting dialogues, addressing fears and coming up with solutions. We want to hear what these solutions are and support them.

The fund is being administered in collaboration with the Creative Ireland Programme and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. Tania Banotti, Director of the Creative Ireland Programme, commented:

Creative Climate Action wants the creative community to focus on large-scale imaginative projects that will make an impact and promote urgent behaviour change. We need these projects to reach not only those who are already invested in issues surrounding climate change, but people who feel overwhelmed when considering their own role in reversing climate change. 

We hope these creative projects will focus on areas of human activity that have been proven to make the biggest impact on carbon emissions such as our homes, travel, food, shopping and recycling. We need these creative projects to empower everyone to make changes that can make a real difference.

There will also be an online informational briefing on 16 April at 1pm, where applicants will have the opportunity to ask questions about the fund. 

For further information, visit: www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/