Sligo County Council’s 2027 Arts Grant Scheme will open for applications on Wednesday next 28th October.  The scheme recognises the vital contribution of the arts to the county’s cultural life and aims to strengthen Sligo’s arts infrastructure while supporting the professional, amateur and community-based arts sector.

• The closing date for the 2027 scheme is Thursday 3rd December at 4pm. Late applications will not be accepted.
• Applications will only be accepted online via Sligo County Council’s Grants Portal

 

The scheme is divided into two strands, reflecting the breadth of arts activity across the county and the different roles played by local arts infrastructure, festivals and events. Applicants should review the guidelines carefully to identify the strand most appropriate to their activities.

Strand 1: Arts Infrastructure is aimed at supporting Sligo’s arts venues and workspaces and professional arts and resource organisations that play a key role in sustaining and developing the county’s arts infrastructure and raising the profile of Sligo’s arts sector nationally and internationally. Activities may include year-round programming and public engagement, support for artists and artform development. Applications under this strand are require to submit more detailed information and supporting documentation.

Strand 2: Arts Festivals & Events is aimed at supporting Sligo’s wider arts community through the provision of funding to independently programmed and non-commercial arts festivals and events that provide opportunities for audiences and communities throughout the county to engage with the arts. The strand is open to professional, amateur and community-based applicants whose activities have a clear arts focus.

Activities whose primary focus lies outside the arts, including primarily food-focused, tourism-focused or commercial events, are not eligible under this scheme. Organisers of such activities should consider alternative Sligo County Council funding opportunities.

How to Apply: Applications must be submitted online via the Sligo County Council Grants Portal.

The closing date for completed applications is 4pm on Thursday, 3 December 2026. Late applications will not be considered.

Subject to confirmation of funding, successful applicants will be announced in January 2027.

For further information, including eligibility criteria and access to the Grants Portal, visit the Sligo County Council Arts Grants information page.

Nine artists were awarded micro-bursaries from Sligo Arts Service to attend Visual Artists Ireland (VAI) annual get together in Dublin in September.

“Life: Being a Visual Artist” brought artists together with curators, producers, funders, and other arts professionals to explore the realities, challenges, and possibilities of sustaining a life in the visual arts.

Each bursary included a ticket for the event, a curator/specialist clinic(s) and a day return train ticket. The micro-bursaries were introduced last year by the Arts Service to enable local artists attend conferences & industry events throughout the year, further information on this scheme can be found here: https://sligoarts.ie/artist-supports/professional-development-bursaries/

Sligo Arts Service invite you to join them at a community meeting to discuss an upcoming Public Art Commission that will happen in 2027 in Sligo town. We are particularly interested in meeting residents, community groups, artists and others linked to the following areas in Sligo, as funding for this project is as a result of recent Social Housing developments in these areas:

• KNAPPAGH ROAD
• GLENVIEW HALTING/HOUSING SITE
• FR. O’ FLANAGAN TERRACE

Rayne Booth, the Public Art Project Manager for the commission will join the Arts Service Team on the night to explain more about the public art programme and how the process works.  Sligo County Council wants local people to have a say in public art projects in their local areas – this meeting is the opportunity for the local communities to tell us what they might like to see happen in the area. Seamus Nolan artist & facilitator will be on hand to guide to guide the conversation and ensure all voices are heard.

All are welcome to attend, Tea & Coffee will be provided

WHEN: Monday 19th October  at 7pm 

WHERE: The Northside Centre, Holborn Hill, Sligo F91 N778

Further information on Sligo’s Public Art programme can be found here: https://sligoarts.ie/public-art/

Request for Quotation: Public Art Project Manager (Sligo) Contract for Services

Sligo County Council Arts Service invites quotations from suitably qualified and experienced service providers for a role as a Public Art Project Manager  under the “Living Landscapes / Tírdhreacha Beo 2022–2028 Public Art Programme” 

The appointed Project Manager will manage and co-ordinate three Public Art commissions under a single Contract for Services in the following areas:

• Commission 4: Tubbercurry / Bunninadden
• Commission 5: Robbers Lane, Maugheraboy
• Commission 6: Cranmore Regeneration

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Public Art Project Manager Contract Details:

• Maximum contract value: €40,000, inclusive of VAT where applicable, travel, subsistence and all other costs
• Anticipated contract duration: approximately 24 months
• Indicative commencement: January 2027
• Closing date for quotations: Friday 30 October 2026 at 5.00pm
• Deadline for queries: Thursday 22 October 2026 at 5.00 pm

Applicants should have at least three years’ relevant professional experience in public art commissioning, arts project management, or a related area of creative programme delivery.

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Application Documents: 

Download the Request for Quotation here:  RFQ_Public_Art_Project_Manager_Commissions_4-6_2026

Download the Quotation Response Document here: QRD_Public_Art_Project_Manager_Commissions_4-6_2026

Applicants should read the Request for Quotation in full and complete the Quotation Response Document.

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Submission Information:

Closing Date for Queries:  Thursday 22 October 2026 at 5pm via email to: ggannon@sligococo.ie

Closing Date for Submissions: Friday 30 October 2026 at 5pm

Email subject line should read: Public Art PM Commissions 4–6

Submissions will only be accepted via email to: ggannon@sligococo.ie

Completed submissions must be provided as one combined PDF document, not exceeding 10MB. External file-transfer links will not be accepted.

Contact: Glenn Gannon
Assistant Arts Officer
Sligo County Council Arts Service
Email: ggannon@sligococo.ie
Telephone: 071 911 4424

The first residency of Sligo Arts Service’s new Wonder Programme has come to a close, following six weeks of creative exploration at Ballintogher Community Childcare.

The pilot programme is a partnership between Sligo Arts Service & Kids’ Own, supported by the Arts Council of Ireland. It will see four artists work in two early years settings (two artists per setting) in 2026. The first residency was led by artists Brenda Kearney and Karen Webster in Ballintogher.

The residency responded to the children’s own interests, particularly their love of spending time outdoors and inspired by the natural environment surrounding the playschool, the artists created opportunities for children to experiment, play and make discoveries through sculpture, painting and photography.

Across the six weeks, the children explored materials and processes in imaginative ways. They made clay paint pots, created artworks using natural materials and developed a photography installation along the Ballintogher Nature Trail. The residency encouraged curiosity, collaboration and creative thinking, with experimentation at the heart of every session.

The experience proved rewarding for everyone involved, including the artists and childcare staff.

Reflecting on the residency, one staff member shared:

“I look at art now in a different light, that it’s not just about using paint and a canvas. You can create anything with a stick.”

The Wonder Programme places children’s ideas and interests at the centre of the creative process, supporting meaningful collaborations between artists, educators and young children in early years settings.

The programme continues this September with a second residency at Benbulben Community Childcare, where artists Anna Spearman and Lorna Watkins will begin a new six-week creative journey with children and staff.

Further information on the programme can be found here: https://sligoarts.ie/programming/arts-in-education/ and on Kids’ Own website here:  https://kidsown.ie/projects/the-wonder-project/

Sligo Arts Service has a new mailing list which you can sign up to at the bottom of the Homepage. The intention is over time, to share information which may be of interest to both the arts sector and the general public.

Alongside this, SAS also shares information via its Social Media platforms on Instagram and Facebook.
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Jamie Carswell has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Incu/Space award for his project “Stompbox”. Jamie is a Lecoq-trained clown, actor and theatre-maker whose practice combines physical theatre, live music, clowning and audience participation.

The Incu/Space award was launched in 2025 and  includes financial support of €4,000, a 5-day “incu-space” at the Factory Performance Space and a mentoring session on Application Writing – for further information on the award, see here: https://sligoarts.ie/artist-supports/incu-space/

This award is funded by The Arts Service Department of Sligo County Council & The Arts Council of Ireland