Cork City Council distributes more than €1.16m as city celebrates arts sector

So far this year, Cork City Council has distributed more than €1.16m in arts funding, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Fianna Fáil councillor Fergal Dennehy, has said.

Mr Dennehy made the announcement at a reception in City Hall to celebrate the contribution of the arts sector to the life of the city.

The council, the Lord Mayor said, had awarded €992,550 in grants to 90 arts and cultural organisations across the professional and voluntary sectors in Cork city, and a further €169,000 was distributed in artists’ bursaries and project awards to city artists.

Thanking the artists, arts workers and community representatives gathered for the reception, Mr Dennehy said Cork had long been a city that embraces the arts and creativity.

“This investment underpins Cork City Council’s commitment to supporting the conditions where art and artists can thrive,” he said.

“These grants support the creation of new and ambitious work and ensure that creativity is embedded in every corner of our community - putting arts and culture at the centre of a vibrant, just and progressive city.” 

The City Hall reception also marked the publication of an interim report on implementation of the city council’s Arts and Culture Strategy 2022 - 2026.

Welcoming the report, Rebecca Loughry, director of services for Corporate, Community and Cultural Affairs, said it provided a snapshot of the breadth of activity conducted in the city across a single year.

“It is a testament to the work of the staff of the arts and events team in Cork city council, but it is also clear from the report how much relies on the strength of our brilliant arts community,” she said.

“This is a programme of work built on partnership and collaboration, carried out in the interests of everyone in our city.” 

Highlights from Cork City Council’s Arts and Culture Strategy:

The Creative Communities Roadshow created a series of creative tasters, information sharing and networking events for artists, community workers and members of the public. The events were held in Ballincollig, Blarney, Douglas, Mahon, Togher, and The Glen.

Some 16 community-led creative projects have been funded under the Creative Ireland Cork City Creative Communities grant scheme.

Cork city’s first Christmas parade was held in November 2024. LUXE spectacle company performed its winter procession to an audience of approximately 40,000 people in Cork’s city centre.

A pilot IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Exchange was established in 2025 as a professional peer learning development programme for arts organisations in Cork.

Cork City Council joined with the Arts Council and Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to host the Night-Time Culture Forum at City Hall in October 2025.

The New Assisted Listening Devices Loan Scheme, ListenTALK, saw assisted listening devices made available to arts organisations in the city, to enhance accessibility. Devices have been loaned to date by Cork Opera House, The Everyman and Dance Cork Firkin Crane.