Chair of New Ross District calling for Night-Time funding in Wexford

Wexford has missed out on being part of a rollout of the Government's efforts to boost Ireland's night-time economy.

Grants of €10,000 are available for galleries and museums to extend their opening hours and host late night events. Arts Minister Catherine Martin says they want to breathe new life into towns and villages around Ireland. The Chair of New Ross District Council, Michael Sheehan is calling on local groups, museums and attractions to go for the funding. "We need to put a proposal to government to get a night time economic development officer to put life back into our towns - to make sure there is as much life in our town centres after hours as there is before." Councillor Sheehan is calling on local groups, museums and attractions to go for the funding: Features of the Scheme  Up to €10,000 will be made available to open later for a minimum of four nights. The funding will be offered to Museums and Galleries that are Institutional members of the Irish Museum Association and/or are a member of the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland (MSPI).  Applicants must commit to opening until at least 9p.m.  Using space in new ways and working with new partners is encouraged to attract new audiences for the museum/gallery space and inspire new uses of existing spaces in the community for late night artists and cultural communities. In this context, Applicants are encouraged to host a programme of events to coincide with the later openings where possible.  Events which can be funded include but not limited to, late evening or night tours, live music, live DJ, dancing (performative or participatory!), exhibitions, poetry readings, comedy shows (Stand up, sketch or improvisation), theatre, film, live podcasts, storytelling, classes and wellbeing initiatives.  Applications for amounts greater than €10,000 will be considered should a regional museum or gallery want to roll out a prolonged and/or more ambitious programme of events. These will be assessed on a case by case basis in the context of available funding; additional funding is not guaranteed and the above principles apply.  Applicants can work with their local Arts Officer, Heritage Officer, Creative Ireland Culture Team, Tourist Officer or other relevant stakeholders to help develop the Programmes.  All successful Grantees will be required to fill out an evaluation questionnaire (See Appendix B, Form A) in relation to this scheme when drawing down funds. This will allow the D/TCAGSM to evaluate the effectiveness of the funding and also to gain learnings from the pilot.  All successful Grantees are also required to carry out a visitor and/or exhibition survey. Please see Appendix B. This data will help D/TCAGSM evaluate the success of the pilot and will also help both the Department and the museums gain valuable insights into who is attending the late night events in what numbers and visitors overall experience of the events and exhibitions.  Programmes must be advertised locally through various channels to ensure maximum visibility. The Department’s support must be acknowledged in public adverting. To assist with the promotion of late night openings, Fáilte Ireland will provide additional marketing support and promotion. Please contact nte.museumscheme@tcagsm.gov.ie for further information. Please note: All relevant planning and licensing requirements must be in place. Eligible Costs Costs covered include but not limited to:  Tour Guides  Late night staff costs  Costs related to carrying out a visitor survey/exhibition survey (See Appendix B Form B)  Security Costs  Event insurance  Artist’s, performers, guides fees/costs etc. (artists/performers must be paid)  set-up/staging costs  AV costs and equipment hire  Marketing and Advertising Ineligible Costs Costs not covered include but not limited to:  food and drink (including alcohol)  purchase of equipment  transport costs (i.e. mini bus hire for patrons) How to Apply Please email nte.museumscheme@tcagsm.gov.ie with the subject line: “Application for funding for After Hours at the Museum (NTESS II) ” See Appendix A for application form. Timing of the Scheme The Scheme will open for applications on 17th May 2023 and will close on 28th June 2023. Applications must include a clear description of the proposed cultural activities and lay out the timeline for each cultural event proposed. All cultural activities must take place before 12th November 2023 and all funds must be drawn down by no later than the 17 th November 2023 to ensure payment. For more information on how to avail of this please contact us at NTE.museumscheme@tcagsm.gov.ie.