Patron Donation Awards

Town Hall Theatre Galway is seeking support for its Annual Patron Donation Awards to support the development and creation of work by artists in Galway. All income from donations received will be invested in the Awards.

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The purpose of the Awards is to support Artists, companies or producers based in Galway (City or County) to research, develop and complete projects which are original and ambitious and which have something to say about the times we live in. Town Hall Theatre wishes to thank everyone who has donated in recent months and looks forward to your continued

The Town Hall Theatre will offer a minimum of two awards of up to €5,000 each year. In addition to the financial bursary, the award will include rehearsal/development space in the Town Hall Theatre and mentoring, as required. We envision that the successful applicants will develop their work within the Town Hall Theatre, and be supported by the organisation to bring their work to the next stage. The Awards will support projects from across disciplines, which present work in dynamic and innovative ways and which may forge new partnerships and collaborations. Projects may be a solo project, a partnership or a collaboration, in either English or Irish.

7 local artists were recipients of the awards of €1000 or €2000 announced in May 2020. The successful applicants were Andrew Flynn (Decadent Theatre Company); Anna Mullarkey with Brú Theatre; Christian O’Reilly; Little John Nee; Luke Morgan, Morgan Creative; Roisin Stack and Sarah Jane Scott.

Conditions of funding for Patron Donation Award 2020

This award is made possible by the generous donations of Town Hall Theatre’s loyal patrons and supporters.

The Town Hall Theatre anticipates a minimum of two awards of up to €5,000 each in 2020.

Applications are open to artists, companies or producers based in Galway City and County.

Applications may be submitted in English or Irish.

A maximum of two applications can be submitted by an applicant in 2020.

Proposals will be assessed by an independent expert panel according to the criteria published below and applications will be shared with all panellists. The panel will make recommendations and their decision will be final; it will be made in a competitive context of limited resources.

Conditions will apply to funding offers including:

•a contractual engagement with Town Hall Theatre

•one-to-one meeting and update with Town Hall Theatre in support of the development of the project

•appropriate acknowledgment of Town Hall Theatre’s support and investment in any work supported, co-produced, co-commissioned or presented

•a report of work in progress supported by the award will be required

Funding will be drawn down in three tranches, the first on formal acceptance of the award/start of the project, the second midway through the project and the final on completion of project. A small percentage of the funding may be withheld until a deal is in place to present the work at Town Hall Theatre. Town Hall Theatre reserves the right to withhold the final payment should the conditions not be met. Applications from artists for the 2021 Awards may be made via the Town Hall Theatre website following an open call 1 April , the closing dates for applications is 1 May and formal offers will be made 25 May.

Criteria

Applications will be assessed according to the following 5 criteria:

1. Eligibility of Application - the application form is completed in appropriate detail and is submitted on time; that the proposal meets the aims of the Patron Donation Award including support of ambitious and original projects that can be brought to completion within 12-18 months
2. Quality and Nature of Proposal - the excellence and originality of the project or piece of work being proposed in terms of theme or idea and/or in terms of formal approach. Town Hall Theatre is open to co-funding partners for projects.
3. Public Engagement - the quality and ambition of the project in its ability to connect to audiences.
4. Track Record of Artists Involved - the achievement to date of the individual maker or group of artists making the proposal and evidence of previous collaboration in the case of companies. Where applicants are considered to be “early-career”, letters of support/references can be supplied.
5. Feasibility of the Proposal - demonstrable evidence of the following: that an award, if made, will allow for the significant development/completion of the proposed project or piece of work a credible project timeframe and budget capacity to deliver the project and to communicate and dialogue with Town Hall Theatre or its representatives. It will be a condition of funding that the artists and/or company has a nominated producer in place evidence (e.g., through letters of support) that any nominated collaborators or project partners including the producer are explicitly committed to the project an outline of how, after the completion of the work, it might be brought to the next stage of production/presentation.