Youth Theatre Grant Scheme 2025

Open8 Nov, 2024, 17:25 - 15 Jan, 2025, 13:00

Section A: Guidance Notes

 

A. Introduction

Grant funding is available through the Kerry County Council (KCC) Arts Office in 2025 for the development of youth theatres in Kerry. The fund is intended to support the growth of youth theatres and youth theatre practice through a collaboration between the KCC Arts Office (co-funded by the Arts Council of Ireland) and Kerry Local Creative Youth Partnership (LCYP). This collaboration advocates that joining a youth theatre in Kerry should be accessible to all young people within a 45-minute drive from their residential location.

Youth Theatre, under the scheme, is considered as a place where young people can express themselves creatively, and in doing so, develop their interpersonal and communication skills. Applicants must outline an annual programme of activity which facilitates the creative interaction of their young membership.

Applying youth theatres must be affiliated or in the process of affiliation to Youth Theatre Ireland, the national development organisation for youth theatre.

The grant scheme supports some, but not all of the associated costs of running a youth theatre. The generation of own funds and fundraising aims should feature in any application made to the Scheme. Evidence of same will be requested. The KCC Arts Office, in supporting the development of youth theatre in Kerry, is looking to support sustainable and targeted initiatives through the grant scheme. Co-funded applications are welcome, the maximum amount that can be applied for is €3,500 per youth theatre.

B. Target Group 

The Youth Theatre Grant Scheme has an intended target focus of young people from the ages of 12-24, who are willing to take part in group supported drama and theatre practice in a fun and safe environment, and where they are supported by a not-for-profit organisation.

Applying youth theatres must be rooted in their community and aligned with the KCC Arts Office and LCYP mission around developing accessible opportunities for young people who are seldom heard. There should be a focus on equal chance opportunities, ensuring diversity and equal access, so that the youth theatre represents the voices of all the young people who take part. Youth participation and youth relevance must be central to the work. There should be a focus on the process of creation where the decision-making is led by the youth theatre members.

Cost must not be a barrier to participation.

Child safeguarding compliance must be in place.

C. Eligible Organisations and Service Providers:

The scheme is open to organisations that wish to maintain a sustainable and targeted youth theatre project experience in Kerry and that will affiliate to Youth Theatre Ireland. Collaborations between services/organisations are welcome. The following entities can apply into the grant scheme:

  • Not-for-profit companies and organisations with an established youth theatre
  • Not-for-profit companies and organisations who wish to develop a youth theatre offering for their community of young people, or for young people from across the county

D. Applications must be submitted by email to arts@kerrycoco.ie before 1pm on 15th January 2025

E. Appraisal Process and Marking System

The proposals will be scored in accordance with the marking scheme set out below.

The maximum score is 100 marks.

Award Criteria

Marks

Available

Evidence of Need:

Applicants must clearly identify & demonstrate the need for youth theatre in their area. This should include providing supporting evidence of the following:

  • - a clear case for the need for the service,
  • - evidence from needs assessments, evaluations, membership feedback, youth consultations or other relevant evidence relating to the needs, opinions and wishes of young people. You must provide proof of consultation with young people.

20

Capacity to Deliver/Additionality:

Applicants must clearly demonstrate their organisation’s/provider’s/service’s ability to deliver the proposed project, & that the project will be additional to the existing work of the service/provider/organisation. Please detail:

  • - how the project proposal is additional/adds value to the existing work of the organisation/provider/service,

 - the capacity of the organisation/provider/service to deliver the proposed additionality,

  • - history of working with the target group or of delivering similar types of services,
  • - detail the duration, contact hours & estimated number of young people involved.

20

Inclusivity:

Information provided about member/participation targets. Please demonstrate the degree to which:

- children &/or young people in local communities will benefit from the project proposal in a community-based setting, with a particular focus on targeted youth integration, & those who are marginalised or experience disadvantage.

 

20

Impact:

The degree to which the applicant has demonstrated:

  • - the difference the project proposal will make to the lives of young people,

- how you intend to monitor that impact (detail clear outcomes, performance indicators, targets, monitoring & evaluation systems).

20

Value for Money:

Applicants must demonstrate:

  • - the degree to which the funding will have a direct added value to the services currently available to young people & will not duplicate existing services in the area.

20

F. IMPORTANT NOTES

  • Artistic vision and workshop programme must align with project outcomes.
  • It is possible that incomplete applications will not go forward for adjudication.
  • Late applications will not be accepted.
  • Funding can only be utilised when a Service Level Agreement is signed by the successful applicant and the KCC Arts Officer.
  • At least two meetings with the Arts Officer and the Kerry LCYP Creative Youth Coordinator will be required as the project develops.
  • There is no advance funding mechanism, grant awards can only be drawn down after the applicant organisation has delivered the project. Grants can be drawn down in two stages but only on evidence of mid-way completion, and vouched expenditure for same.
  • Applicants will be required to conduct an evaluation process with their group at the end of the workshop schedule.
  • Grants awarded must be fully spent by 24th November 2025.
  • The KCC Arts Office is required to recover any funds issued that are not utilised for the purposes under which a grant was awarded.
  • The Arts Officer and the Kerry LCYP Creative Youth Coordinator will, in time, arrange an evaluation of the grant scheme in order to measure the impact of grant awards under the scheme. All successful applicants will be requested to participate in the evaluation process. 

At the approval stage, applicants will be requested to provide the following:

  • Health and Safety Statement
  • A Completed EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) Form with a valid Tax Clearance Access Number
  • A Schedule for Public Liability Insurance (to the value of €6.5 million) and Employers Liability Insurance (to the value of €13 million) indemnifying Kerry County Council
  • Written confirmation that the applicant is compliant with the Children First Act 2015
  • Written confirmation that the applicant is compliant with Data Protection Legislation under the Irish Data Protection Act 2018.

In order to draw down funding, applicants will be requested to provide the following:

  • A Completed Drawdown Form
  • Evidence of Expenditure (supplier invoices, receipts etc.)
  • 3 Photos which can be used for future promotion, with matching Image Consent Forms
  • Evidence that support from Kerry County Council, the Arts Council of Ireland and Kerry LCYP was acknowledged in writing, by using the logos and the correct hashtags, in all marketing associated with the youth theatre.
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