THE Arts Council of Northern Ireland has announced its 1996 awards, bursaries and project grants, with a total value of £280,805. Among the many recipients are Blackstaff Press (stg£30,000), Community Dance 96 (stg£7,000), and the Fenderesky Gallery (stg£6,000) ... The South Dublin County Council Summer Festival runs throughout July, with puppet shows, jazz nights, cajun music, sculpture, barbershop singing and more, in venues from Tallaght to Lucan. Tel: 1800 533522... The Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht has allocated a grant of £375,000 to the Cork Opera House for further development of the building, and £300,000 to the Board of the Northside Arts and Cultural Centre so that work can begin on refurbishing and extending Woodville House on the Kilmore Road, Coolock, the location of the new Arts Centre on Dublin's Northside... The week long Earagail Arts Festival in Co Donegal runs from Sunday and takes place in a number of different locations. There will be a street carnival, a concert with De Danaan, Ridiculusmus Theatre Company with their new show All About H. Hatrerr, an exhibition of blankets from Botswaaa, and more.