Aiming to tailor the grants to fit

ArtScape:Continuing its plan to replace the one-size-fits-all approach to annual revenue funding with what it calls a more tailored approach, the Arts Council this week awarded almost €5 million in annual programming grants (APGs). These grants are to support specific artistic activities in 114 arts organisations, rather than funding ongoing organisation or administration.

This money is offered earlier than usual to the organisations, to help allow them to plan the work they will produce next year; APGs are part of a series of new funding programmes designed to replace the revenue funding programme.

This week's funding figures follow the May release of figures for 2008 for regularly funded organisations (RFOs), which caused such controversy. The RFOs, seen as the key organisations in the arts in Ireland, across all the art forms, got an almost universal 3.4 per cent increase in funding (in real terms a cut), which has caused consternation; only about 10 arts organisations bucked this trend for an across-the-board increase.

And a third tranche of funding - annual funding, through which the council will continue to support both operating costs and artistic programming - will be announced in mid-December. These three funding schemes, along with projects and small festivals funding, are what replace the old, clumsier system of revenue funding.

This week's round of APGs is certainly more subtle than the council's earlier RFOs decisions, but that reflects the scale of the funding involved - the total funding announced this week is just under €5 million, whereas the RFOs funding totalled €27 million. Therefore, with the RFOs funding, there are greater risks for the council in awarding increased funding, given that the big unknown is how arts funding will fare in the Budget. And with the Government changing its story almost immediately after being re-elected, there's a wait-and-see going on, and a degree of apprehension that the genuine achievements of the past few years, and the commitments given for the future, may be on shaky ground.

The Minister for Arts, Séamus Brennan, recently met the Arts Council formally for the first time, and, separately, a delegation organised by Theatre Forum but representing companies across the art forms. And while there was a good exchange of views, no one really seems to know what way the wind is blowing for the arts over the next couple of years.

This week's APGs include increases for a range of work planned for 2008. Among the significant increases in funding for artistic work are: Brandon Press, from €60,000 to €95,000; Age and Opportunity, from €70,000 to €100,000; Baltimore Fiddle Fair, from €13,000 to €30,000; Kinsale Festival,which got €20,000 under Small Festivals next year gets €45,000; Galway Circus Project, from €12,500 to €25,000; Irish Book Review, from €11,000 to €22,000; Concorde contemporary music ensemble, from €35,500 to €45,000; Galway Ensemble-in-Residence, from €60,000 to €75,000.

While there are some standstill grants, other organisations have come into the funding net for the first time: G126 Gallery in Galway (€15,000), Hatch (previously ArcLight) Theatre Company (€75,000), Livin' Dred Theatre Company (€51,000), and Chrysalis Dance (€16,780) have also been funded this way for the first time (previously they got project funding). Festivals that got APGs for the first time include Kinsale, Baltimore, and Diversions in Temple Bar.

The book launch with no book

As a non-event the non-launch seemed exactly the kind of occasion the puckish humour of poet Seán Ó Ríordáin would relish, especially as it was held in his name - and in his honour, writes Mary Leland.

Although invited to the launch of Selected Poetry of Seán Ó Ríordáin, translated by Greg Delanty, the audience at Cork City Library found itself instead attending a hastily renamed "celebration". The books - the trim, black hardback and the coloured paperback - sat demurely on their table, and while they could hardly remain untouched, they certainly remained unsold - again something Ó Ríordáin might not have found surprising.

This contretemps came about by the last-minute issuing of legal correspondence between solicitors representing Sairseal Ó Marcaigh, holders of Ó Ríordáin's copyright, and those representing Greg Delanty, whose translations of Ó Ríordáin's published poems in Irish bring together a body of work in a single English-language volume for the first time. Still dazed by this eruption of legal affairs on the very eve of the launch, editor Deirdre Nolan of New Island, the book's publisher, explained (without breathing a word of what had happened) that, while the tantalising copies were not for sale, they could be ordered in advance.

Members of Ó Ríordáin's family were also present to support the event, as was poet Liam Ó Muirthile, who read in Irish the poems Delanty - an acclaimed poet himself - read in English. And nobody said a cross word, least of all Seán Ó Coileain, Emeritus Professor of Irish at UCC and (with Seán Ó Mórdha) Ó Ríordáin's literary executor, who relieved the sense of interdict by remarking that Delanty's achievement was to ensure that people who did not read the Irish language would come into contact with Ó Ríordáin through this selection: "This is not Ó Ríordáin entirely nor is it entirely Greg Delanty: it is Ó Ríordain as reflected in the sensibility and words of Delanty. It doesn't belong to one or the other, but in a way to both. That is what happens in translation."

He also expressed his thanks for the generosity of Ó Ríordáin's family, who, when the poet died 30 years ago, pressed all his journals and books into his keeping. These are now held by UCC and UCD.

• Mary Leland writes about Ó Riordáin and the new translation on Monday.

Rough Magic sow more Seeds

Rough Magic's AIB Seeds 3 showcase of productions and readings at the Dublin Fringe Festival was very successful, and the next round of the impressive theatre writing development programme, AIB Seeds 4 (the bank has come on board in support, joining the Arts Council and Culture Ireland) is now inviting submissions from emerging theatre people.

Seeds offers newer playwrights, directors, designers, composers, producers, and now also production managers, to take part in an 18-month programme, individually curated to give development support, mentoring, international research trips and placements, and hands-on experience on Rough Magic productions.

The scheme is designed with the notion of "the company as ensemble" as its guiding principle, and Seeds artists will work together in separate but integrated programmes, with a showcase work as a company at the end.

Playwrights are commissioned to write an original play, mentored by an experienced director of new writing. They will get support and feedback from Rough Magic's literary department and the structured development programme includes one-on-one script meetings, workshops and private readings.

The playwright's programme is separate from the other programmes, but the Seeds writers participate in combined activities including workshops and international travel. Submissions must be in by 5pm on Friday, November 2nd. Information from AIB Seeds, Rough Magic Theatre Company, 5-6 South Great George's Street, Dublin 2, or on 01-6719278, info@rough-magic.com, www.rough-magic.com

• The Jerome Hynes Composers Competition 2007, hosted again this year by the National Concert Hall, is calling on composers to enter by the end of the month. Composition students under 30 years old, resident or domiciled in the Republic, are invited to submit a composition for piano to be considered for the award, which includes a substantial cash prize and a performance in the National Concert Hall's Rising Star recitalist for 2008.

Judith Woodworth, director of the concert hall, says: "Endorsing and encouraging young musicians is an important part of our work here at the hall. This competition offers an important platform for aspiring composers throughout Ireland."

The closing date for applications is Wednesday, October 31st, and the winner will be announced in the new year. Application form and details from the NCH Learn and Explore department, tel: 01-4170077 or see www.nch.ie