Longford's Backstage Theatre awarded €59,500 for Late-Night Events Pilot Scheme

Longford's Backstage Theatre has been awarded funding of €59,500 to open their doors into the night as part of the Late-Night Events Pilot Scheme. 

This initiative intends to diversify late-night activities, create opportunities for innovative work, and welcome new audiences into existing cultural facilities. 

Backstage Theatre is one of 14 Arts Centres to benefit from the funding announced by The Arts Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The total awarded amount across the 14 Art Centres was €723,407.  

The programme will encourage new partnerships, supporting engaging night-time arts activities, advocate for a place-based approach, support additional Night-Time Economy interventions, promote cost-effective events, and ensure fair payment for artists and creative workers.  

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Minister Catherine Martin TD said: "I would like to congratulate the 14 Arts Centres who have been awarded funding through the Late-Night Events Pilot Scheme, one of a number of Night Time Economy initiatives to benefit from support from my department. This scheme aims to promote a vibrant cultural ecosystem in Ireland that thrives after dark.  Through the extension and diversification of our later night cultural activities, it will also provide opportunities for new and exciting work partnerships, encourage new audiences into existing cultural facilities and make the arts more accessible. It will also seek to identify and address any challenges which venues may associate with staying open late.  I wish the arts centres well with their upcoming events.” 

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Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council, said: "With additional funding from the Dept. of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, we are delighted to fund 14 Arts Centres as part of our Late Night Events Pilot Scheme.  The project's core objective is to create a sustainable framework for cultural experiences beyond standard operating hours.  The plans proposed by these 14 Arts Centres will provide  tantalising experiences for audiences and artists alike”.   

The 14 Arts Centres that received funding are as follows: Triskel Arts Centre, RUA RED, Complex Productions Ltd, The Donegal Regional Cultural Centre, The Dock, Droichead Arts Centre, Backstage Theatre, Galway Arts Centre, The Lime Tree Belltable, The Model, An Táin Arts Centre, Everyman, Waterford Theatre Royal Society and Mermaid Arts Centre.  

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