Arts News

 

Open Call: Culture Night Late

Culture Night is a national moment celebrating culture, creativity and the arts and seeks to actively promote the belief that this rich and varied culture is alive, treasured and nurtured in people's lives, today and every day.  Hosted by the Arts Council and its strategic partners, it is delivered nationwide in cities, towns, villages and rural locations as well as online and through our media partners. Culture Night 2022 takes place on the 23rd of September.

Culture Night Late has been created in response to the changing needs of the arts sector and in line with the government's commitments outlined in the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce (September 2021). This open call seeks to build upon the success of the 2021 Culture Night pilot late night events, and recognises the distinctive need to develop and diversify the artistic and cultural offerings of the night-time economy, as outlined in Action Point 11 of the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce.

Culture Night Late is funded by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and managed by Culture Night’s National Coordinator Milestone Inventive.

At a Glance

In 2022, we wish to fund a number of flagship Culture Night Late night events, to take place in urban towns / cities with a population size of over 15,000 (using 2016 Census data)

Deadline for applications: Friday May 27 at 5.30pm. 

Applicants may apply for funding between €15,000 and €20,000 for a regional flagship event. Funding awarded will be no more than 60% of the total event cost. 

Matched funding may come from a number of resources such as a local authority, arts or community organisation. No more than 10% of matched funding should be support in kind.

 

Who can apply?

Culture Night Late is open to local authorities, artists, creators, producers, programmers and arts organisations in the Republic of Ireland.

 

What can you apply for?

We invite proposals for late night cultural events which are:

  • Ambitious in scale - flagship events and can cater for an audience of over 500 people.
  • Are designed to take place between 9pm and midnight either indoors or outdoors, but with due consideration for licensed opening hours and noise curfews as they apply locally.
  • Open and free to the public (with ticketing and pre-booking as appropriate)
  • Have core considerations around equality, diversity and inclusion, which address the challenges outlined in pages 12-13 of the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce.
  • Aim to specifically (but not necessarily exclusively) target an audience within the 18-35 age demographic, and/or where young people within this age demographic are engaged in the programming and design of the event.
  • Alcohol free events tailored for the night-time economy are encouraged.
  • An even spatial distribution of projects, reflecting the nationwide nature of culture night is desirable.

We welcome proposals for events primarily with a broad cultural theme and across all art forms with a wide public focus and reach including, but not limited to; arts participation, theatre, music, visual and digital art, film, literature, traditional arts, opera, dance, spoken word, circus, spectacle, audio arts, arts developed by and for young people or a hybrid of disciplines.

 

Eligibility criteria

In order for a proposal to be considered for this funding, it must meet the following criteria:

  • Proposals for late night cultural events must be for towns/cities with a population over 15,000
  • Proposals can come from individuals (artists, creators, producers and/or programmers), groups, organisations or cultural institutions, or Local Authority Arts Offices directly; however the relevant Local Authority Arts Office, as co-funder, must be a critical partner in the application.
  • If taking place outdoors, local permissions, licensing and permit arrangements, including noise considerations/curfews as appropriate need to be factored into the proposal.
  • A clear indication of where matched funding will be sourced from, such as letters of support, must be included as part of the proposal.

 

What can you not apply for?

  • Any event or production that has previously been presented or performed either nationally or internationally;
  • Any productions that are works in progress, that will not be fully realised and cannot be feasibly produced and presented within the available timescale;
  • Events or productions that are not conceived with a public facing ambition;

 

 

Assessment Criteria

All proposals will be assessed and markfollowing criteria:

35%: Quality of Idea

  • What is the extent in which the project demonstrates artistic excellence, innovation and ambition?
  • To what extent can the proposal reach late night audiences and how does the proposal fits within the principles of Culture Night and developing the Night Time Economy

35%: Feasibility and deliverability

  • What is the evidence that the event can feasibly be delivered in the timescale available?
  • Is the proposed budget comprehensive and realistic?
  • Are all artists and professionals being paid?
  • Is there evidence of support from the Local Authority Arts Office for the proposed late night cultural event?
  • Is there a provisional agreement with the proposed venue / location (if applicable)
  • What is the experience of the proposed project team? Is there confidence based on the information presented in the proposal that the full project team proposed is sufficient and will be available for the duration of the project?

15%: Diversity and Inclusion

  • To what extent does the proposal address equality diversity and inclusion both in its programming and in its relevance and accessibility for audiences?

15%: Targeting the 18-35 age group

  • To what extent does the proposal address the interests and needs of this demographic?

 

Application process

The selection process for this scheme is by open call. Selection will be made by a panel, based on the proposal supplied by the applicant.

Applicants must submit:

  1. A written proposal and concept in detail, including concept, timeline for event delivery, and how it will address call criteria. Please limit your response to 2000 words.
  2. A detailed breakdown of all costs, e.g. production costs, artists’ fees, insurance, etc.  Itemise and list total for each area of expenditure – including but not limited to all artists, crew, technical fees, all production costs, and admin costs. Contingency should be 10% of total expenditure. Fair pay for artists and all personnel and crew should be incorporated into the budget, in line with the Arts Council’s Paying the Artist policy.
  3. Details of additional funding/sources of income must be indicated in the budget.
  4. CV(s)/Biography of proposed artists, personnel and/or organisations involved in the delivery; please outline relevant experience working in event production.

 

Submissions to be made to: info@milestoneinventive.com 

Please put the following in the subject heading of your email submission: Culture Night Late proposal

Submissions will only be accepted by email.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS: Friday May 27th 5.30pm

The Arts Council / Milestone Inventive shall not be liable for any costs or expenses in respect of applications

 

Further information

Contact Milestone Inventive at: info@milestoneinventive.com 

 



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