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City’s Arts Community Contributions Celebrated at City Hall.

18/07/2025

In 2025, Cork City Council awarded €992,550 in grants to 90 arts and cultural organisations across the professional and voluntary sectors in Cork city. A further €169,000 was distributed in artist’s bursaries and project awards to city artists.

The announcement came last night as the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Fergal Dennehy held a reception to celebrate the contribution of the arts sector to the life of the city.

Thanking the artists, arts workers and community representatives gathered for the reception, the Lord Mayor of Cork commented: “Cork has long been a city that embraces the arts and creativity, and this investment underpins Cork City Council’s commitment to supporting the conditions where art and artists can thrive.

These grants support the creation of new and ambitious work and ensure that creativity is embedded in every corner of our community— putting arts and culture at the centre of a vibrant, just and progressive city. I would like to acknowledge the work of the Arts Committee in driving this ambition”.

The event also marked the publication of an interim report on implementation of the City Council’s Arts and Culture Strategy, 2022 – 2026. The report outlines the actions taken by the Council over the last twelve months towards the priorities of ‘art for everyone’; ‘space for art’, ‘art in the public realm’, ‘a city for artists’ and ‘influence and capacity’.

Welcoming the report, Director of Services for Corporate, Community and Cultural Affairs, Rebecca Loughry said: “This report provides a snapshot of the breadth of activity conducted in just one year. It is a testament to the work of the staff of the arts and events team in Cork city council, but it is also clear from the report how much relies on the strength of our brilliant arts community. This is a programme of work built on partnership and collaboration, carried out in the interests of everyone in our city”.

Highlights include:

  • The Creative Communities Roadshow – Creative tasters, information sharing and networking for artists, community workers and members of the public held in Ballincollig, Blarney, Douglas, Mahon, Togher, The Glen.
  • 16 community-led creative projects funded under the Creative Ireland Cork City Creative Communities Grant Scheme.
  • Cork City’s first Christmas parade in November 2024. LUXE spectacle company performed its winter procession to an audience of 40,000 in Cork city centre.
  • A pilot I.D.E.A. Exchange in 2025 as a professional peer learning development programme for arts organisations in Cork.
  • Cork City Council joined with the Arts Council and Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media to host the Night-Time Culture Forum at City Hall in October 2025.
  • New Assisted Listening Devices Loan Scheme. ListenTALK assisted listening devices available to arts organisations in the city, to enhance accessibility. Devices loaned to date by Cork Opera House, The Everyman and Dance Cork Firkin Crane.
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