Arts grants announced by OCC

Offaly County Council has announced four community arts grant schemes, aimed to further develop creativity and inclusion in the arts in Offaly. The Arts Act Grants are specifically for community groups and voluntary organisations who wish to run an arts project or event in 2010. The project can include music, drama, literature, dance and the visual artists. The Drama Awards are specifically aimed at voluntary drama groups and musical societies based in Offaly. Given the recent growth in town bands in the county, a new Community Band Grant has been specifically created for bands, such as brass, pipe, percussion, concert and ceili bands. In addition, there has been a growth in artists working with youth organisations in the county, therefore these organisations must apply jointly with an artist under the new Youth Arts Grant, which is specifically aimed at developing and supporting innovative projects that encourage young people's creativity and inclusion in the arts. Organisations may only apply under one scheme and for one project and the Arts Office recommends seeking advice on which scheme best suits your needs. The closing date for all four schemes is Friday April 16 at 3pm. Application forms are available now from the Arts Office on 057 9357400 and can be downloaded from www.offaly.ie