A £750,000 scheme dedicated to increasing the range and scope of public art projects in Northern Ireland has been launched by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI). The new Public Art Programme will support new commissions with grants of £10,000 and above, with the aim of ?revitalising the urban and rural landscapes in which we live?.
Applications for the fund, the deadline for which is 6 October, will be judged against four criteria: public benefit, quality of arts activities planned, financial viability and quality of management, and partnership funding. Despite ACNI having supported more than 50 public art projects worth over £2m in the past ten years, this is the first funding stream dedicated to public art in Northern Ireland. Earlier this year, ACNI published the Public Art Handbook for Northern Ireland, with case studies of recent public art commissions and notes promoting best practice. The council?s newly-updated website also includes a virtual tour of public artworks in the region.
Published: 12-09-2005