Visual Artists Workspace Scheme

The Visual Artists Workspace Scheme supports established workspaces throughout Ireland that accommodate at least four professional visual artists working on site, funding core running costs such as rent, utilities, administration, management, and artist-development programmes. Grants of up to €50,000 are available, of which up to 20% may be directed toward essential repairs and maintenance; the scheme is open to organisations, groups, or collectives rather than individual artists.

Grant range: Up to €50,000
Funding level: Rate varies
Support type: Grant
Last checked: 4 Sept 2026

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About this scheme

The Visual Artists Workspace Scheme is an Arts Council programme supporting artists' workspaces throughout Ireland to provide the best possible working environment for professional visual artists, and where feasible, to enable a level of subsidy for the artists using them. Eligible workspaces must be established, located in the Republic of Ireland, and accommodate at least four professional visual artists working on site. Grants of up to €50,000 (increased from a previous maximum of €40,000) can be used toward core running costs such as light, heat, rent, administration, appropriate management/salary costs, and artist-development programmes; up to 20% of the total request may be directed toward essential repairs and maintenance. The scheme is open to organisations, groups, or collectives with an existing workspace, not individual artists. Major capital costs, funding for public activities (e.g. exhibitions, productions), and costs relating to non-workspace facilities cannot be applied for under this scheme. Workspaces already receiving other relevant Arts Council funding for the same purpose may be ineligible for those same costs, to avoid double funding. Applications are made through the Arts Council's Online Services.

Who can apply

Applicant must be an established organisation, group, or collective operating an existing workspace (not an individual artist)
Workspace must accommodate at least four professional visual artists working on site, and be located in the Republic of Ireland
Workspace must propose to share resources for the benefit of the visual artists working there
Organisations already receiving certain other types of Arts Council funding for the same purpose (e.g. studio support through Strategic Funding, or public-activity funding such as exhibitions/productions through Arts Grant/Project Funding) may be ineligible or excluded from applying for the same costs
Funding may not be used for major capital costs (e.g. building work, purchase of major equipment), for public activities (e.g. exhibitions, productions), for core costs relating to non-workspace facilities, or for activities that have already taken place or already been assessed by the Arts Council
Requests above the scheme's maximum award cannot be made

How to apply

Read the current Visual Artists Workspace Scheme guidelines in full before starting (typically published around two weeks before the round opens)
Register for or log in to an Arts Council Online Services (OLS) account
Confirm the workspace can accommodate at least four professional visual artists throughout the funding year and review whether existing Arts Council funding affects eligibility
Complete the application form, detailing how the requested funding (up to the maximum award) will be used for core running costs and, where applicable, essential repairs/maintenance (up to 20% of the request)
Gather and prepare required supporting material demonstrating benefit to the professional visual artists using the workspace
Submit the completed application and supporting material through Online Services before the published deadline
The Arts Council assesses eligible applications competitively and communicates its funding decision by email