Arts Council (Ireland)


The Arts Council is the arts council of Ireland. It was established in 1951 by the Government of Ireland, to encourage interest in Irish art and to channel funding from the state to Irish artists and arts organisations. This includes encouragement of traditional Irish arts, support for contemporary Irish arts, and finance for international arts events in Ireland. The council was modeled on the Arts Council of Great Britain, founded in 1946, and works closely with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, formed by the British government in Northern Ireland in 1962 to fulfil a similar role.

International policy

The Arts Council of Ireland is the official between the EU Commission's Cultural Programme and Ireland.
The Arts Council of Ireland is a founding member of the .
Visual Artists Ireland, the all-Ireland non-governmental organisation representing Irish artists nationally and internationally, is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.

Members

The arts council consists of 12 members and a chair, each appointed for a five-year term by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Professor Kevin Rafter was appointed chair in 2019 The CEO is Orlaith McBride.
The Chair of the council is appointed for a five year term by the Minister of Arts and Culture.