GREEN Party councillor Colette Finn has welcomed the fifth annual Decade of Centenaries Markievicz Award, a bursary to support artists in producing work that reflects on the role of women in the period covered by the centenary commemorations and beyond.

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin announced that the bursary scheme for 2023 will open for online applications via the Arts Council’s artists portal on Tuesday, January 17.

The Minister makes awards under the scheme each year to up to 10 artists, either artists working alone or in collaboration with others, to a value of €25k per individual or group.

“The Markievicz Award continues to both honour Constance de Markievicz – herself an artist – and to provide support for artists from all backgrounds and genres in producing new work that reflects on the role of women in the period covered by the centenary commemorations and beyond,” the minister said.

“The Award is now in its fifth year and 32 artists across diverse genres have benefited from the €700k awarded under the scheme to date.”

Green Party councillor for the city’s South West ward, Colette Finn said she very much welcomes the bursary.

“The arts has an important role to play in helping us to look at ourselves as a society.

“As we commemorate the foundation of this State, the role of women often went unremarked or rendered invisible. I hope that these projects will correct that,” she said.

For full details on the scheme, which closes to applications on February 16, see the Arts Council’s website.