Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, and Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications and Transport, Eamon Ryan, today launched a €3 million fund to support imaginative creative projects that build awareness around climate change and empower citizens to make meaningful behavioural changes.
Applications for the scheme will open in December 2022 at www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/ www.creativeireland.gov.ie
The successful teams will include experts from the climate science, community engagement as well as arts and culture sectors.
The ‘Creative Climate Action II: Agents of Change programme is a joint initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
The programme is calling for creative projects which address the following:
- Encourage everyone to rethink their lifestyles
- Connect with the biodiversity crisis
- Enable a fair and just transition in making lifestyle changes
- Assist citizens to understand the climate crisis
- Adapt to the effects of climate change
There are two funding strands:
1.Spark
This strand is for those looking to pilot a new idea, or who want to deliver a creative project at a local level. Organisations, community groups and creative groups who can inspire, and build knowledge, skills and confidence are welcome to apply for grants between €20,000 and €50,000.
2.Ignite
This funding strand is suitable for those with experience in delivering public engagement projects at scale, and are proposing durational projects with extensive public participation. Applicants may be eligible for grants between €50,000 and €250,000.
The first fund was launched in July 2021 by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in collaboration with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. It supported 15 pilot projects from around the country. This included dramatic light installations that demonstrated rising sea levels, urban pollinator paths, immersive agricultural programmes in Dingle and Tipperary, decarbonising projects in Limerick and Waterford and the regeneration of the repair and reuse culture in Westmeath.
Project partners included artists and the wider creative sector, climate scientists, local authorities and community groups. The key objective of Creative Climate Action is to provide support for creative and cultural-based projects that engage the public about the behaviour changes society will have to make to address climate change.
It is part of the Programme for Government commitment to “support Creative Ireland in its ‘Engaging the Public on Climate Change through the Cultural and Creative Sectors’ initiative.”