The most recent round of Culture Ireland funding decisions has been announced. Culture Ireland supports Irish artists and arts organisations presenting work abroad. This year includes a number of online events. Over €1.5m has been awarded for 38 projects.

Among the music recipients are the Dublin festival Temple Bar Tradfest which was been awarded funding of €50k to present a series of pre-recorded performances during 2021, and First Music Contact which has been awarded €215k to present virtual showcases for a number of international events, deliver an online version of Ireland Music Week, and lead a new international networking initiative titled Country Connections.

The Glasgow festival Celtic Connections has received €13k to present a number of Irish artists during its 2021 online festival, and Folk Alliance International has been awarded €12.5k to present Irish artists as part of their digital conference, taking place 22–26 February.

Also in receipt of funding are the bands We Banjo 3, Kíla and Dervish, and the Milwaukee Irish Fest in the US.

Announcing the awards,  Minister for the Arts Catherine Martin said:

It is important, now more than ever, that Culture Ireland builds on Ireland’s global reputation for creativity and continues to support Irish artists to have a worldwide reach. The funding announced today will ensure support for Irish artists and enable Irish arts and culture to be enjoyed globally and will help to maintain Ireland’s critical international connections.

For the full list of recipients, see below. For more, visit www.cultureireland.ie