Future Limerick one of five Arts Projects selected for funding from ESB Brighter Future Arts Fund

ESB Brighter Future Arts Fund, delivered in partnership with Business to Arts, supports artists and arts organisations with creative ideas on engaging their local communities around sustainability and the energy transition.

“Future Limerick’ is an ambitious collaboration between Sunday’s Child Theatre Company and the Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable to create a multidisciplinary climate arts festival that will host performances, workshops, projections and more due take place in Limerick in May 2022.

 

Future Limerick has been selected as one of just five arts projects across the country to have received funding from the ESB Brighter Future Arts fund. The €250,000 fund was established in 2021 to support artists and arts organisations to deliver creative projects that will promote awareness of climate change and inspire positive action.

 

The project “Future Limerick” will see Sunday’s Child Theatre and Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable come together with artist Eva O’Connor to create a multidisciplinary Climate Arts Festival. The ambition is to use art and creativity to engage the wider Limerick community on the issues of sustainability and climate change, and to spark debate about what a low carbon future could look like in Limerick.

 

As a vibrant, multidisciplinary festival, Future Limerick will take place across the city. It will feature acclaimed play Afloat by Sunday’s Child Theatre Company, as well as a host of cultural events including music, spoken word, film screenings, a short story competition, visual art and much more.  It will be a vibrant take-over of the city showcasing the best artistic talent Limerick has to offer.

 

Speaking at the announcement, Paddy Hayes, Chief Executive of ESB said: ‘As a long-standing supporter of the arts in Ireland, ESB recognises the key role that artists play in helping communities not only to understand and interpret past and current events, but to imagine our future. Through this fund, we want to support artists and organisations committed to engaging and supporting communities to achieve a net zero future. Future Limerick and all the selected projects reflect the diverse and creative approach that was evident across all submissions, and we look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition over the next two years.’

 

Eva O’Connor from Sunday’s Child Theatre Company: ‘Sunday’s Child are thrilled to be working in conjunction with the Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable to deliver a programme of events across Limerick that will showcase the crucial role the arts have to play in envisaging a more sustainable future Limerick. We’re planning a vibrant week of culture that will both entertain and spark vital conversations about how we as a community can tackle the climate emergency, and create a brighter future.’

 

Louise Donlon, Director at Lime Tree Theatre | Belltable said: ‘We are very excited to work with Sunday’s Child Theatre Company and the ESB on Future Limerick. Addressing the challenges we face through the medium of the arts will help to frame them in a way that makes them seem less daunting, and we hope this festival will inspire new & creative ideas for a local-led response to the climate change.’

 

Davina Saint, Chairperson of Business to Arts said: ‘The five incredible projects across the island of Ireland that are being funded by the ESB Brighter Future Arts Fund demonstrate how artists and arts organisations uniquely interpret and communicate critical issues in creative ways. ESB is a long-term supporter of Business to Arts and the arts. We champion companies that are committed to supporting the arts and we are proud to partner with ESB on this innovative fund.’

 

The Project is due to kick off on May 14^th and will run until May 21^st.

For more information on the fund or selected projects visit www.esb.ie/arts

 

Image credit: Conor McCabe