Limerick City and County Council are pleased to announce an open call for the Individual Arts Bursary, Theatre Bursary, and Dolores O’ Riordan Music Bursary Awards Schemes.
Limerick City and County Council invites applications from professional artists who wish to be considered for a Bursary of up to €4,000 for Individual Arts and Dolores O’ Riordan Music, and €5000 for Theatre for the development of work/professional skills. Artists based in Limerick City and County Council’s administrative area, or operating substantially within Limerick City and County can apply for a Bursary in any art form, including Visual Arts, Circus, Dance and Literature, Theatre and Music.
This scheme is in line with the Limerick Cultural Strategy Aim and Objective 1:
To grow Limerick’s cultural capacity by retaining and attracting creative practitioners to live and work in Limerick
- Support and develop the creativity of individual artists in Limerick through recognising the need to support the making and development of creative work as well as its presentation and exhibition.
- Encourage the highest standards of creativity and excellence in all aspects of cultural activities
Purpose of the Awards
The Individual Arts Bursary, Theatre Bursary, and Dolores O’ Riordan Music Bursary Awards Schemes is to support professional artists to develop their artistic practice. It is designed to support the development of Limerick based professional artists through any means that will demonstratively contribute to an artist’s development such as:
- Costs relating to the production of a specific body of new artistic work - development of new work for exhibition, publication or presentation.
- Costs relating to improving your knowledge - research or short-term courses in Ireland or a structured mentoring relationship.
- Costs relating to improving your professional capacity – such as website development, or documentation.
- Other - or any purpose that contributes to the removal of existing barriers to an artist’s development.
This competitive open call, offers the opportunity for funding for Individual Arts Bursary, Theatre Bursary, and Dolores O’ Riordan Music Bursary Awards Scheme until 31 December 2025.
Applicants, (professional artists) must be based in Limerick City and County Council’s administrative area, or operate substantially within Limerick City and County and are able to demonstrate this. It is open to artists at all stages in their professional careers.
A professional artist can be defined as someone for whom their artform is their whole-time occupation or who holds a third level qualification in their field of practice or has been paid and advertised as a solo or leading performer/exhibitor in a state funded institution or has been published or produced by a recognised publisher or theatre/film company or venue or is recognised as a professional by his/her peers and received recognition in the form of commendations, rewards, awards, grants, appointments to panels, etc.
In 2025 this Award Scheme call out includes a Bursary for Theatre and a Bursary for Music, the Dolores O’Riordan Music Bursary, to support professionals working in either theatre or music.
In 2025, Film practitioners are not eligible under the Individual Arts Bursary Awards scheme, as they will have their own separate open call via 'Film in Limerick'.
Persons in undergraduate, or full time post-graduate education are not eligible, or individuals who will be during the period for which this bursary is offered.
A full list of Bursary Guidelines are available to download at the beginning of this online application process. Please read them carefully to help inform your application.