Native name An Chomhairle Ealaíon Founder Government of Ireland | Industry Performing arts Area served Ireland | |
Founded 1951; 66 years ago (1951) Headquarters 70 Merrion Square, Dublin | ||
The Arts Council (sometimes called the Arts Council of Ireland; legally Irish: An Chomhairle Ealaíon) is the arts council of Ireland. It was established in 1951 by the Government of Ireland, to encourage interest in Irish art (including visual art, music, performance, and literature) and to channel funding from the state to Irish artists and arts organisations. This includes encouragement of traditional Irish arts, support for contemporary Irish arts, and finance for international arts events in Ireland. The council was modeled on the Arts Council of Great Britain, founded in 1946, and works closely with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, formed by the British government in Northern Ireland in 1962 to fulfil a similar role.
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International Policy
The Arts Council of Ireland is the official "Cultural Contact Point" between the EU Commission's Cultural Programme and Ireland.
The Arts Council of Ireland is a founding member of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies.
Visual Artists Ireland, the all-Ireland non-governmental organisation representing Irish artists nationally and internationally, is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.
Members
The arts council consists of 12 members and a chair, each appointed for a five-year term by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Pat Moylan was appointed chairman in January 2009. The CEO is Orlaith McBride.