New €15m ‘business restart’ grant scheme for live performance sector

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD has announced a new restart grant scheme for venues, producers and promoters that stage events in the arts and culture live performance sector.  

€15 million is being made available under the new Live Performance Restart Grant Scheme.

This scheme aims to help the recovery of the live performance sector by providing business restart grants of up to €100,000 to companies/venues/producers and promoters in the arts and culture live performance sector.

This funding follows last year’s successful €25 million Live Performance Support Scheme which provided 53,000 days of employment for artists, performers and crew.

“I have seen how important the 2021 Live Performance Support Scheme was in providing employment opportunities for businesses to engage the services of artists, musicians, technicians, producers and other professional practitioners,” said Minister Catherine Martin, “Now that Covid restrictions are behind us I want to support operators in the sector to get back to what they do best.”

The scheme will open for applications via an online portal on Tuesday March the 22^nd at 1pm.

“I know how difficult the past two years has been for those operating in the live performance sector,” she continued, “Since the lifting of restrictions on January 22^nd it has been wonderful to see so many gigs, theatre events and other live performances going ahead.

“I know that challenges remain and this new business restart grant is designed to help the sector to recover fully and get back to full capacity as soon as possible.”

Guidelines for the new scheme are available here.