There’s some good news this evening for a number of venues and events programmers in Kilkenny following the latest round of funding under the Live Performance Support Scheme.
Announced earlier this year, some €50m was to be made available to venues around the country to programme live music, arts, comedy, spoken word and family events.
In this phase, €25m has been allocated to assist commercial venues, producers and promoters to plan live performances across the country over the summer months, with a total of 237 organisations benefitting from the scheme.
A €5m pilot was run late last year which was both Cleere’s and Set Theatre run around 20 live concerts between them. A further €5m was provided under the scheme for local authorities to engage local performances and crew to stage live performances over the summer.
Funding not only covers the live acts, but also the designers, engineers, backstage crew, promoters, technicians, videographers, photographers and everyone involved in creative process.
Who’s getting funded?
Locally, four venues will benefit directly with two other big names rolling out comedy and arts programmes.
On the music side, Shane Tobler at Crossroads Recordings has been successful in attaining some €31,260 for a programme of events at Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre.
This weekend sees four shows from Mick Flannery and Susan O’Neill as they get set for a summer of outdoor shows. Seating this weekend is limited to 100 per show, in pods of two or four, but if restrictions ease as expected on 5 July, venue capacity will also increase.
Matt The Millers pick up €42,208 for a series of traditional Irish music gigs.
Cleere’s Bar & Theatre on Parliament Street have been allocated a total of €131,992. Mary Coughlan, The Kilkenny’s, Cry Monster Cry and Ulton Conlon were among those to perform as part of last year’s series of online concerts.
The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, lost to Covid-19 in 2020 and aiming for a potential winter edition this year, sees €145,880 come their way for a programme of comedy events.
Set Theatre at Langtons will receive €182,021 towards shows at Set Theatre’s courtyard, having staged a number of live shows late last year including hometown favourite RSAG (above) along with Soda Blonde and Brian Deady.
Schweppe Curtis Nunn, based in Kilkenny, benefit to the tune of €290,906 to host The Electric Caravan – a series of one-day micro-festivals at four historic houses, across the four provinces, celebrating with audiences the essence of the Irish summer festival.
Elsewhere, Festival Republic – organisers of Electric Picnic – will be the recipient of over €400,000 to run a series of live music, theatre, comedy and arts events between Stradbally and Dublin’s Olympia Theatre. While Aiken Promotions pick up the largest amount nationally, with almost €600,000 destined for a number of performances over the summer to support artists, bands and backroom staff.
See the full details and a national breakdown here.
