Following an open call to the "Irish imagination" from the Arts Council, nine arts projects to commemorate 1916 have today been announced.
The pieces were selected by an international jury and the final list unveiled by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys. Covering the spectrum of arts in Ireland, they represent a €1 million investment from the Arts Council and will form a key part of the 2016 Centenary Programme next year.
“The arts and culture were an essential element of the movement that led to the events of the 1916 Rising with the Gaelic and Literary revivals helping to inspire a new generation," Humphreys said. "It is vital, therefore, that the arts are central to the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. These commissions will help us to not only reflect on the events of a century ago, but also to look forward to the next 100 years."
Arts Council Chair Sheila Pratschke commented that "these proposals represent a key response to 1916", while Arts Council Director Orlaith McBride added: “We in the Arts Council were overwhelmed – and delighted – by the response to our ‘open call’, even if it made the international jury’s task of choosing just nine applications from 258 all the more challenging."
The Arts Council will also offer 16 special bursaries for a new generation of emerging artists; additional touring support to bring arts events to communities across Ireland; and will gather dozens of the country’s best choirs for a free, televised concert featuring a specially-commissioned piece by Shaun Davey and Paul Muldoon
Click here to learn more about the nine commissioned pieces.