Sligo Arts Service
Sligo Arts Service sits in the LIVE, INVEST, VISIT (Culture) Directorate within Sligo County Council, operating
under Libraries & Arts. We play an important part in shaping and supporting the cultural life of the county,
connecting national arts policy with local needs, opportunities, and communities.
Our Role
We work to develop, support, and promote the arts in Sligo through a strategic, policy led approach.
Our aim is to ensure that people across the county can access, participate in and enjoy high quality
artistic experiences.
In line with national practice, we support cultural organisations, artists, communities, and partner
agencies to strengthen Sligo’s creative ecosystem and to champion the value of the arts in everyday life.
How We Support the Arts
Sligo Arts Service provides a range of supports to help the arts thrive locally. These include:
- Funding and development support for arts venues, workspaces, and organisations
- Funding support festivals, events, and cultural initiatives
- Opportunities, funding and resources for artists and creative practitioners
- Support for public art, community arts, and place-based cultural projects
Our work is guided by the Arts Act 2003, which defines the arts as:
“ any creative or interpretative expression (whether traditional or contemporary) in whatever form
and including in particular visual arts, theatre, literature, music, dance, opera, film, circus and
architecture and includes any medium when used for those purposes.”
Partnerships & Funding
The Arts Department is funded by Sligo County Council with support from The Arts Council of Ireland, with which it has a
Partnership Agreement that is reviewed and re-negotiated every 5 years, ensuring a shared commitment to developing arts provision, building local capacity, and supporting excellence, access, and participation. The department also works closely with national programmes and networks, contributing to a co-ordinated approach to arts development across Ireland.