Isle of Man Arts Council announces further Covid-19 Resilience Funding for creatives

To ensure organisations and individuals who contribute to the island’s rich creative arts community are assisted during the third lockdown Covid-19 crisis, the Isle of Man Arts Council have once again announced an emergency resilience fund.

This funding will be made available on merit to anyone working or taking part in the creative industries, culture and arts communities on the Isle of Man and should be related to the Isle of Man Arts Council and Culture Vannin National Development Strategy for Culture and the Arts 2017-2027.   The support will also to continue to provide a creative legacy from the Covid-19 crisis and follows the well-received resilience funding successfully provided in 2020.

IOMAC members, Laura Rowles and Jade Boylan both understand the difficulties being experienced within the creative community and the continued need for support.

Vice Chairman Laura said: “As the owner of a creative education business on the Island we have remained determined to be positive, and find new ways of working within the constraints of lockdown. Whilst the IOMAC Resilience Fund will hopefully provide financial support and relief, I hope that it will also encourage those in the creative industries to once again look at how they can adapt and reach new audiences. Hopefully this will create stronger businesses moving forward.”

Jade Boylan further commented: “As a member of the Arts Council and as the owner of a small on island creative business, I understand first-hand the importance of supporting our local artists and creatives right now. The arts have never been more vital for our mental health and general wellbeing both as a nation and as a community, giving us all something positive and uplifting to focus on every day. This Resilience Fund is to help support some of our local creative entrepreneurs and businesses that may be struggling during these unprecedented times, and hopefully give them the boost they need to carry on creating.”  

Marlene Maska MLC, Chairman of the IOM Arts Council commented “The Isle of Man Arts Council and the Arts Team have learned from our previous experiences in lockdown that the arts and creative community have so much to offer and make a really uplifting contribution to our everyday lives during these difficult times and we look forward to supporting our creatives to ensure this continues as we stand together again in our fight against Covid-19”

Applications for the funding are open to any individual or organisation in order to complete one of the following:

  • Venues or Organisations who have needed to adapt their services in order to continue operations either during or after lockdown. The aim on these projects will be to create new public channels to the arts and support business resilience for the organisations. Applicants will have to prove they meet strategy point SIX and one other strategy point.
  • Freelance Creatives undertaking personal projects using their professional skills. Applicants will have to prove they meet strategy point SIX and one  other strategy point.
  • Projects intended for the island’s community during national lockdown. Applicants will have to prove they meet strategy point FOUR and one other strategy point.

Applications are now open, closing at midnight on Friday 23rd April 2021 and can be submitted via the grant form on the Isle of Man Arts Council website: www.iomarts.com. 

Applications will be considered by the Isle of Man Arts Council at their next meeting on Friday 7th May 2021. 

In this time of uncertainty and the requirement for immediate funding, the IOMAC will consider retrospective funding if the applicant can provide proof their project was started during or as a result of lockdown.

Please note: IOM Arts Council Covid Resilience funding is NOT a salary support or business start-up scheme.  Further information in this regard can be found online at https://covid19.gov.im/business-guidance/

For any other information, or if you feel you may qualify and are not included in the above list, please contact the Arts Team at iomartscouncil@gov.im.  The Arts Team will also be available to chat over email, phone or virtually upon request.

Applications for future projects and events unrelated to the Covid-19 situation can be submitted online by Friday 25th June for consideration at the IOM Arts Council funding meeting on Friday 9th July 2021.