About Galway City Arts Office
The City Arts Service is managed by Galway City Arts Office. The Galway City Arts Office consists of the Arts Officer, the Arts Development Officer and the Arts Office Administrators. The Galway City Arts Office works in partnership with the various sections and departments within the council from Tourism, Community and the Galway Culture Company to develop and strengthen arts opportunities in communities, neighbourhoods and districts across the city.
Through our Artists Residency Programme, Artist in Schools Programme, the Arts Partnership Grants, the Per Cent for Art Commissioning Scheme, Culture Night, the Bealtaine Festival and many other programmes, and through the capital and revenue funds we invest in arts venues and organisations, amateur and voluntary groups and artists across the city.
Through the city arts programme the public enjoys and benefits from high quality arts provision so that the best outcomes are secured in the wider context of cultural value and the public good.
The Arts Officer for Galway City Council is Ruth Mulhern.
The Arts Development Officer for Galway City Council is Nicola Gilcreest.
The Arts Office Administrators are Deirdre Headd, Sharon Spellman and Stephen Doyle.
What is Galway Arts Office
The Arts Office manages and coordinates the investment of public money in the arts on behalf of Galway City Council, funding a wide range of activities across the city – theatre, visual art, readings, dance, music, film, street arts, circus, spectacle and more.
Galway City Council was one of the first local authorities in the country to establish an arts office (2001) and is the key agency for the development and support of the arts in the city.
Since 2001 Galway City Arts Office has been a vibrant and essential part of Galway City Council. Established to advise the Council on all aspects of contemporary arts practice, the Arts Service runs its own programme of residencies, events, interventions and strategic partnerships.
Galway City Council is committed to investing public funds in the arts to support a healthy and diverse arts ecology. Funding is awarded to individuals, groups and bodies that define themselves primarily as artists and contemporary arts organisations.
The programmes, projects and organisational supports for arts and culture are funded by Galway City Council from its annual budget (the arts budget is voted on annually by all the elected members) and through funding from The Arts Council, Creative Ireland, The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, as well as from other government departments and national agencies.
Grants awarded support artists at all stages of their careers, as well as ensuring investment in both new and established arts organisations.
Galway City Council invest in local community groups who wish to develop arts programmes that create opportunities for collaboration with artists and facilitate high quality creative engagement.
Where can I find the Galway City Arts Office?
The Galway City Arts Office is based in Galway City Council offices at City Hall, College Road, Galway.
If I have a query whom should I contact?
For all queries, please contact us at arts@galwaycity.ie
How do I contact the Arts Officer?
The Arts Officer for Galway City Council is Ruth Mulhern.
The Arts Development Officer for Galway City Council is Nicola Gilcreest.
Any queries for the Arts Officer can be emailed to arts@galwaycity.ie
Which artistic practices and art forms does the Arts Office cover?
Galway City Arts Office engages with contemporary creativity in the art forms of architecture, circus, dance, film, literature, music, opera, street art and spectacle, theatre, traditional arts, and visual arts. We work in practices that cross art forms to encompass venues, young people, children, education, arts and health, arts and disability, socially engaged art and artist’s support. The Arts Office is active in its support of engagement, production, and dissemination through the medium of the Irish language, recognising that both contemporary and traditional arts are key elements in the diverse culture of our city.
We do not engage with heritage or conservation unless there is a contemporary, living aspect to the project. For heritage and conservation projects and funding please see the Heritage Office in Galway City Council and / or Galway City Museum.
How does the Arts Office support creative practitioners?
Individual creative practitioner bursaries, grants and awards.
Residencies in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annaghmakerrig, Co. Monaghan.
Creative practitioner bursaries are offered on a competitive basis to artists in all contemporary art forms. Application criteria and timelines are announced on this website and in the media. The artist bursaries are for individual professional artists domiciled in Galway city. The bursaries consist of financial awards given to support artist's creative practice.
How does the Arts Office support arts organisations and groups?
We offer annual arts grants to professional and voluntary arts organisations operating in Galway city. The principal and primary function of the organisation or group must be contemporary art practice.
Annual arts grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Application criteria and timelines are announced on this website and through social media.
Galway City Council has awarded grants totalling €400,000 to the city’s arts organisations for 2023.
Galway City Council values the powerful projects and programmes delivered right throughout the city in participation, access and diversity. The grants to over sixty artist-led organisations will help keep them in business, reward them for the great work achieved online and offline and assist them in developing programmes in the future.
Applicant - 2023 AWARD
Community, Voluntary, and Amateur Strand
Club Shine - €600
Cois Cladaigh - €1,200
Crannóg Magazine - €2,000
Eastside Community Drama - €2,000
Galway African Diaspora - €1,000
Galway Art Club - €500
Galway Baroque Singers - €1,400
Galway Baytones - €1,000
Galway Cartoon Festival - €1,000
Galway Cathedral Recitals - €1,500
Galway Choral Association - €1,000
Galway Film Society - €3,000
Galway Musical Society - €500
Galway Percy French Society - €300
Galway Ukulele festival - €500
Galway Youth Orchestra - €1,000
Irish Patchwork Society - €450
Red Bird Youth Collective - €1,500
Renmore Pantomime - €1,000
Skylight 47 - €900
St Nicholas Collegiate Church Schola Cantorum - €1,200
The Forge Clay Studios - €2,000
Youth Ballet Galway - €1,750
Professional Strand
126 Artist Run Gallery - €11,000
An Taibhdhearc - €4,250
Architecture at the Edge - €4,000
Artspace Studios - €10,500
Baboró International Childrens Festival - €20,000
Blue Teapot Theatre Co - €5,000
Branar - €8,000
Brothers of Charity Services Ireland - That's Life - €5,500
Brú Theatre - €2,250
Cúirt International Festival of Literature - €15,000
Decadent Theatre Co - €4,000
Druid Theatre Co. - €28,000
Engage Art Studios - €13,500
Eva's Echo Theatre Co. - €1,000
Galway Arts Centre - €35,000
Galway Community Circus - €10,000
Galway Dance Project - €6,500
Galway Early Music - €4,000
Galway Film Fleadh - €19,000
Galway International Arts Festival - €46,000
Galway Music Residency - €26,000
Galway Theatre Festival - €11,000
Galway Youth Theatre - €3,000
Junior Galway Film Fleadh (Galway Film Fleadh) - €1,500
Knocknacarra Amateur Theatre Society (KATS) - €500
Luminosa - €4,000
Macnas - €24,000
Misleór - Galway Traveller Movement - €1,500
Moon Fish Theatre Company - €6,000
Moth & Butterfly Festival - €1,000
Music for Galway - €16,000
Resurgam - €1,200
Saolta Arts - €5,000
Tulca Festival of Visual Art - €14,000
Westside Arts Festival - €5,000
Where can I find information on arts and culture in Galway?
For news and updates on the arts in Galway contact arts@galwaycity.ie to sign up to our email mailing list.