‪Rowan Atkinson - Invisible Drum Kit‬‏

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Announces Funding of Irish Arts Abroad – Visual Artists Ireland The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht announced funding for the promotion of Irish arts abroad. Under its Summer 2015 grants round, Culture Ireland has awarded €321,500 to eighty-five applicants including individual artists and arts organisations to support the presentation of their work globally. This funding will provide considerable opportunities for the promotion of Irish arts and culture around the world throughout the remainder of 2015 and into 2016. Successful projects cover all art forms and involve presenting in twenty-seven different countries including Australia, Brazil, China, India, Paraguay, various European countries as well as the United States and Canada. Artists continue to attract new as well as committed audiences and their international work has become a critical factor for many in sustaining their careers and ensuring the ongoing viability of many arts companies.

Abbey Theatre admits its 2016 programme ‘does not represent gender equality’ Updated at 23.07pm THE ABBEY THEATRE has acknowledged that its 2016 programme, Waking the Nation, does not represent gender equality. The statement from the board and director of Ireland’s national theatre comes after days of criticism of its new programme, on which there is just one play written by a woman, and the subsequent launch of the #WakingtheFeminists campaign. Lian Bell, a set designer and arts manager, has used the hashtag #WakingTheFeminists over the past week to create a call to action for people who want equality for women in Irish theatre. Bell has been gathering and sharing testimony from men and women on her Twitter feed for the past week, and this has led to a public meeting being organised to take place in the Abbey.