The Abbey Theatre has been awarded €9.5 million in the Arts Council’s first round of direct funding for 2025, €1 million more than it received under the same strand last year.
The National Theatre was previously the subject of a critical Arts Council-commissioned review that cited “unclear” governance in relation to tax procedures and financial matters.
Last August, the board of the theatre accepted the report, and published a list of actions taken or in train, including changes to board records, governance structures and culture, employer liability insurance, as well as its relationship with the Arts Council.
At €9.5 million the “strategic funding” for the Abbey in 2025 dwarfs the next highest grant this year, €5,501,130 for the Dublin based Irish National Opera. Both of these are significantly higher than other large strategic grants, including that for Dublin’s Gate Theatre (€2.85 million) and Luail, Ireland’s National Dance Company (€2.2million).
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Among the highest other strategic grants were the Wexford Festival Opera (€1,950,300); the Irish Film Institute (€1.21 million); and the Irish Traditional Archive (€1,067,680).
Galway’s Druid Theatre was awarded €1.134 million. Overall strategic arts grants to Galway-based organisations totalled more than €4 million.
In all, 175 grants were awarded to organisations, art centres and arts studios across the Republic under the funding strand. However, no organisations in Co Offaly were listed as receiving grants.
Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said grant funding was “vital to the continued growth and development of the arts in Ireland”.
She said the money would help ensure that organisations were “empowered to realise compelling visions across all artforms. This financial support will allow people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with and experience the very best of the arts in our country,” she said.
In 2025 there are to be 33 direct grant schemes from the Arts Council, all of which are open and competitive, the Arts Council said.
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