Markievicz Award Scheme for 2024 opening soon for artists
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From: Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
- Published on: 8 March 2024
- Last updated on: 27 June 2024
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, today (08/03/2024) announced the 2024 Markievicz Award bursary scheme for artists, on this International Women’s Day. The Scheme will open for online applications from 7 May via the Arts Council’s website and will close at 5.30pm on Thursday 6 June 2024.
Awards under the scheme have been made each year since 2019. Since 2021 up to 10 artists (either individual artists working alone or in collaboration with others) have been supported up to a value of €25,000 per individual or group. The department partners with the Arts Council on the administration of the scheme and the Minister will announce the award recipients for 2024 in the summer. Guidance on how to apply for the scheme will be made available in due course.
The Markievicz Award is designed to support artists, to develop their craft and ultimately produce great art that recognises and commemorates the role of women in the historical period 1912-1923, and beyond.
Minister Martin said:
“The Markievicz Award honours Constance de Markievicz, an artist and a revolutionary. It provides support for artists from all backgrounds who are engaged in diverse artforms to produce new work that reflects on the role of women in Ireland in the 20th century and beyond. 2024 is the sixth year of this successful scheme. To date, over 40 artists with diverse artforms have benefited from the almost €1 million in total funding awarded under the scheme."
Given the importance of the Irish language revival movement during the revolutionary period, and the department’s ongoing and particular responsibilities to support the Irish language and the Gaeltacht, one of the awards will be assigned to an artist working in the Gaeltacht and through the medium of the Irish language, subject to them achieving awardable standard. Applications from individuals or groups within culturally diverse communities and from people with disabilities are also encouraged under the scheme.
- Minister Martin added:
“I am delighted that we can continue to support artists with the Markievicz Award. It is important to continue to recognise the role of women in Irish history, following the conclusion of the Decade of Centenaries. The award recipients to date, through their creative imagination and related emerging work, are playing an important role in commemorating the role of women in Ireland 100 years ago, and over the course of the intervening century.”
Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said:
"We are thrilled to support the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in administering the Markievicz Award, which provides crucial support for artists across Ireland. This bursary scheme honours the legacy of Constance de Markievicz, the first Irish woman elected to parliament and appointed to cabinet, so it is fitting that today’s announcement coincides with International Women’s Day. We encourage artists from all backgrounds and artforms to apply and we look forward to seeing the innovative and diverse works that will emerge from this year’s recipients."