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The second round of the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund, in partnership with Business to Arts, is open for applications. The all-island Fund will provide a total of €1 million in arts funding over three years, awarded to projects that are adapting due to the pandemic, or are inspired by and responding to our recovery. 

The Arts Fund supports or commissions artists and arts organisations to develop arts projects that engage the individuals, audiences and communities involved. All art forms are eligible to apply to the fund.

With this second round, Bank of Ireland and Business to Arts are encouraging more applications from artists who specialise in fine-art film and craft-related disciplines and from community arts organisations, who were under-represented in round one.

During the first round of the Arts Fund over €300,000 was distributed to 36 projects across the island of Ireland. Projects included ‘Yes, But Do You Care?’, a collaboration between visual artist Marie Brett, choreographer / performer Philip Connaughton, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the Dementia Carers Campaign Network that recently launched online via the Irish Museum of Modern Art; Mobile Music Ensemble’s Covid Care Concerts which toured hospitals and care homes during 2020 and will continue their concerts in coming months; and Locked up in Lockdown, a theatre collaboration between the Lyric Theatre, Belfast and members of a young offenders’ centre about their experiences of the pandemic.

About the Fund
This Fund provides fees to artists or groups of artists to create new work and help maximise the budgets of partner organisations (e.g. arts organisations, community/voluntary organisations, etc.) for their programme of activity.

Artists or groups of artists applying must work with a partner organisation (e.g. a venue or event, arts organisation, community/voluntary organisation or another funding agency/organisation).

Applicants can request funds between €3,000 – €10,000 / (STG equivalent), and average grants will be €5,000 / (STG equivalent), with maximum grants of €10,000 / (STG equivalent).

Arts projects with larger budgets that have secured funds elsewhere are encouraged to apply. With each grant round, the Fund aims to provide funding to an arts project in each county on the island of Ireland.

Key Dates
Tue, 18 MayWebinar 1: General Overview & How to Apply
Thu, 20 May: Webinar 2: Audience, Budget, & Evaluation
Wed, 23 June, 5pm: Deadline for applications
Tue, 31 Aug, 2021: Applicants informed by email
Dec 1 2021 – Dec 31 2022: Projects to take place

For information on the application process and to complete the online application form, please visit www.businesstoarts.ie/artsfund/bank-of-ireland

Updated 13 May 2021

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