- €5m for seasonal musical theatre and pantomime scheme
- €34m for Live Performance Support Scheme
- €5m for Local Authorities artists and performance supports
- €5m adaptation grants for venues
- €1m for the Saint Patrick’s Festival 2022
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, has today (8 December) announced additional funding of €50m to support the Live Performance Sector. The supports are in response to the introduction of new restrictions on live performance capacities. The supports announced today for the sector include:
- €5m for the seasonal musical theatre and pantomime scheme (LPSS 2), funding will increase from €2m to €5m and the turnover requirement is being reduced to €100,000 from €300,000 with applications being accepted until the end of January 2022. This scheme is now open for applications
- €20m for another strand of the Live Performance Support Scheme (LPSS 3), specifically to support performances in December and January which may need to be cancelled, curtailed or rescheduled. This scheme will open for applications on Friday 17 December. Venues, including nightclubs that stage live performances, producers and promoters can apply for up to 50% of their eligible costs
- a minimum of €14m for another strand of the Live Performance Support Scheme (LPSS 4), to support performances being staged from February 2022 to June 2022. This scheme will open in January 2022. If further funds are required the Minister will seek additional funding from the Covid Contingency Fund
- €5m for Local Authorities to support local artists and performances through the LLPSS (Local Live Performance Support Scheme). This will include funding for community and local pantomimes
- €5m to continue the capital supports scheme (CECGS) to venues, including for ventilation upgrades and other COVID adaptations
- €1m for the Saint Patrick’s Festival 2022
The Minister is examining how further supports can be provided to the broader events sector. A further extension of the Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS) which supports businesses in the music sector will be announced in January. This scheme has provided grant support to businesses to cover costs up to the end of December.
Minister Martin said: “The live entertainment sector has been asked to shoulder a heavy burden with these new restrictions. This is not where we wanted to be but the epidemiological situation is such that we must try to reduce socialisation to manage COVID-19 case numbers over the coming weeks. I know audiences are still seeking live performance experiences after venues were closed for so long and I do not want to see stages going dark in the coming weeks. LPSS 3 will provide venues with the flexibility to decide if they will proceed with their events or reschedule and keep artists and crew employed.”
Further details on all of the schemes, including guidelines and information on the application process, will be made available on the department’s website shortly.
The Minister added: “I am conscious of how important these pantomimes and seasonal musical theatre shows are for the businesses that stage them. I would like to see as many of these productions as possible continue even with 50% of the usual audiences. Families and children across the country look forward to these every year and it is important they go ahead now more than ever. I am committed to supporting the live performance and nightclub sector as they journey through a difficult and unprecedented phase of business operations. I know it takes many weeks and months to programme shows and tours. I am very pleased to announce the roll out of these schemes which aim to be as flexible and responsive as possible.”
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