Culture Night

What is Culture Night?

Culture Night/Oíche Chultúir is a national moment, celebrating all that makes up the richness and diversity of Culture in Ireland today, connecting people to cultural activities locally and nationally and aims to open up pathways to ongoing engagement. An annual, all-island public event which takes place each year and this year taking place on Friday 20th September 2024, it celebrates culture, creativity and the arts and seeks to actively promote the belief that this rich and varied culture is alive, treasured and nurtured in people’s lives, today and every day. Special and unique events and workshops are specifically programmed at participating locations and thanks to the continued support of the Arts Council and local Authorities across the island of Ireland, all activities are made available to the public free of charge.

Encourages more people to visit cultural venues and experience culture in their locality
Reminds us all about the fantastic cultural facilities and resources that we have locally and nationally
Raises the profile of cultural organisations, activities and facilities
Encourages people to try new things and to get into the habit of going more often to cultural venues and activities in their locality
Makes it easier for people to play a role in their local cultural scene
Helps create a sense of community and belonging

Who makes Culture Night happen?

Culture Night happens because many people share a vision and enthusiasm for enjoying, celebrating and promoting creativity and culture. The following list gives a taste of the wide range of institutions that make it happen across Ireland: The public, artists, performing groups, galleries, museums, sport clubs, libraries, arts centres, craft workers, studios and workshops, theatres, public spaces, broadcasters, schools, community groups, local authorities, government departments, state agencies and public bodies, transport companies, universities, shops and many more! For full details on Culture Night see: www.culturenight.ie

Culture Night in County Monaghan

Culture Night has been celebrated throughout County Monaghan for several years and we want to build on this momentum again in 2024. If you are a Monaghan based creative practitioner/artist, not-for-profit organisation, local community group, arts, heritage and cultural groups, venues, and societies, we would like to hear your proposal.

What are we looking for?

In terms of programming, as per Culture Night criteria it is not only about promoting our cultural venues and organisations but engaging creative practitioners as we endeavour to promote the Pay the Artist initiative. We are particularly interested in participatory projects that can give ownership on the part to the audience; initiatives which may broaden the concepts of culture; projects which include equality, inclusion, accessibility and diversity; and projects which can have lasting legacies beyond Culture Night. We also advocate for groups/venues to collaborate on programming with creative practitioners.

What can the funding be used for?

Funding can be used for any of following:

Production Costs
Hiring of performers, acts, or entertainment
Equipment hire

Only in exceptional cases can funding be used for:

Hiring of venues – we promote the use of free venues such as libraries, museums, outdoor spaces etc.
Promotion – a county programme booklet/leaflet will be provided with all events listed.

Funding will not be provided for the following:

Refreshments including alcoholic beverages.
For any activity in retrospect to Culture Night
General overheads.

Expression of Interest form & Closing Date

You can download the ‘Expression of Interest’ form here. (Depending on your browser, this may automatically save to your ‘Downloads’ folder.)

Completed Expression of Interest Forms should be forwarded by email to culturenight@monaghancoco.ie by Friday, 17^th May 2024 at 5pm.

It may not be possible to offer funding to all applicants and it may also not be possible to offer the full amount requested to any individual applicant. It is therefore important to ensure that all relevant information is included in your application, including the proposed budget for the event.