Cork City Council Announces €544,800 in Arts Funding

23/03/2026

Cork City Council has announced a total of €544,800 in funding across its Arts Grants, Arts Project, Artists Bursary and Artist and the Community Schemes.

Confirming the 20% increase in funding to the arts, allocated through the Council’s budget, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Fergal Dennehy commented: “Cork is a city of culture and this funding ensures that the arts continue to flourish in every corner of our city. These awards support the artists, organisations, and communities who enrich our cultural life and inspire us all.”

Of this investment, €344,800 has been allocated by the Council’s Arts Committee to 72 professional, community, and voluntary arts organisations. These groups deliver high-quality, wide-ranging programmes that engage audiences of all ages and backgrounds, while strengthening Cork city’s artistic capacity.

A further €200,000 has been awarded across the Council’s suite of arts funding schemes offered in partnership with the Arts Council. This represents a total of 36 awards across the Project Scheme, Artist and the Community Scheme, and Individual Artists Bursaries. These schemes provide essential support for new artistic work, and the professional development of individual artists working across all disciplines.

As part of this year’s awards, one artist has been granted the inaugural one-week artists residency at Cowhouse Studios in County Wexford.

Announcing the awards, Cork City Council Arts Office emphasised that sustained investment in the arts is vital to creating the conditions where art and artists thrive - contributing to a vibrant, just and progressive city. The 2026 funding programme reflects the Council’s ongoing commitment to nurturing artistic talent and ensuring that culture remains central to life in Cork. The full list of arts funding recipients can be found at https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/services/arts-culture-heritage/arts-office/news/