Arts Council allocates €10m

The Arts Council has announced funding of €10 million for next year in the areas of circus, opera and the traditional arts.

The Arts Council has announced funding of €10 million for next year in the areas of circus, opera and the traditional arts.

Of the total of 401 applications received by the October deadline, the Arts Council has offered funding to 23 arts organisations, 34 local authorities and Ealaín na Gaeltachta.

The remaining funding decisions will be announced in mid-January.

The Arts Council has a budget of €80 million to fund arts for 2007.

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Olive Braiden, chair of the Arts Council said: ""From a policy perspective, circus, opera and the traditional arts represent current priority areas for the Arts Council and this is reflected in the significant increases in levels of funding support that has been offered through revenue funding.''

Funding offered to organisations in circus totalled €230,000, an increase of €100,000 on last year, opera organisations have been offered €3.78 million, an increase of €660,000 on last year, traditional arts organisations have been offered €1.87 million, an increase of €697,500 on last year.

This €1.87 million forms part of an overall programme of spending amounting to €4 million, in the second of a three year development programme for the traditional arts.

Local authorities have been offered €3,374,000, an increase of €451,900 on last year, with specific support for children and young people.