Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, has announced funding of €3.7 million over the next three years for local authority-led projects under the Creative Ireland Programme including €2.3 million from the Government’s Shared Island Fund. The investment supports two key strands of the Programme; Health and Wellbeing in the Community and Creative Communities on a Shared Island, connecting communities across Ireland through creativity, culture and collaboration.

Creativity for Health and Wellbeing

Nineteen local authorities will partner with the HSE to deliver projects using creative practices to improve community wellbeing, including three cross-border collaborations. Highlights include: 

• Weaving Worlds: Creative Fashion Upcycling Across Borders and Ages, led by Fingal County Council, an intergenerational Shared Island initiative connecting Fingal’s Older People’s Council, youth groups and partner organisations in Northern Ireland through creative fashion upcycling.

• Sólás: The Midlands Circle of Care, led by Offaly County Council, a community arts programme supporting families, nursing home residents and people living with terminal illness through poetry, creative writing and other creative activities.

• Creative Spark: Cork County Youth Arts and Wellbeing Programme, led by Cork County Council, engaging young people aged 8–18, particularly those from marginalised and harder-to-reach communities, through digital creative practices including podcasting, coding and animation.

Connecting Communities on a Shared Island 

Under the Creative Communities on a Shared Island strand, thirteen local authorities will deliver cross-border projects fostering cultural exchange and lasting connections between communities North and South. 

These include

• What’s the Story?, led by Mayo County Council, Men’s Sheds from Ireland’s four provinces sharing stories and exploring contemporary experiences of masculinity on a shared island.

• Sightless Cinema, led by South Dublin County Council, uniting blind and visually impaired communities creating original audio theatre works for audiences North and South.

• Farm Walks, led by Leitrim County Council in partnership with Fermanagh, connecting farmers and artists across the border around shared land, environment and heritage. 

Announcing the funding, Minister O’Donovan said: “I am delighted to announce this significant investment of €3.7 million, which reflects our belief in the transformative impact of creativity on people’s lives. By supporting local authorities and community partners, we are enabling creative opportunities that are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of communities across the island of Ireland. I look forward to seeing these innovative and collaborative projects develop through this significant funding which includes €2.3 million in Shared Island funding.”

This investment demonstrates the continued commitment of the Creative Ireland Programme to support creativity as a catalyst for wellbeing, inclusion and community connection. Through collaboration with local authorities, communities and partners across the island, these projects will create meaningful opportunities for people to engage with creativity and each other in new and inspiring ways.

Further information on the successful projects is available here.