Carlow Arts Festival awarded over €200,000 share of huge €2.8 million national grants

Carlow Arts Festival has been awarded a share of €2.8 million grant funding from the Disability and Participation Awareness Fund.

Carlow Arts Festival is set to receive funding of €205,095 as part of the national funding.

The funding was announced on Wednesday the 18th  of June by Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality, Norma Foley and will include 22 innovative projects to receive the funding.

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The grants are being provided for projects to support people with disabilities to take part in community, sports and physical activities, arts and cultural activities, social enterprises and neurodiversity initiatives.

The projects for people with disabilities include canoeing clubs how to cater for people with disabilities, audio theatre workshops, disability arts festivals and a DIY wheelchair repair programme.

The title of the Carlow Arts Festival project that received the funding was 'Our Place'.

Announcing these most recent recipients of funding under the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund, Minister Foley said:

"I am delighted to announce that 22 innovative new projects will receive funding under this round of the Disability Participation and Awareness Fund. There is a wonderful range of projects to support people with disabilities of all ages to live full and active lives. They include sailing voyages, forest singing workshops, school therapy dog programmes and fully inclusive circus performances. These projects will offer new and exciting opportunities for people with disabilities to show their talents and abilities and to reach their true potential.

Minister of State Naughton added

"The brilliant initiatives which will be funded by this most recent round of DPAF funding will have a lasting impact on society by promoting more understanding and awareness of disability matters within the community, creating genuine employment opportunities for disabled people through the provision of various training programmes, providing life changing supports with assistive technology and facilitating meaningful participation in many recreational activities, fostering that broader sense of community and belonging for everyone.”