County Council launches new Arts Plan
Plan has five key priorities
GALWAY County Council has committed to pushing for more funding for the arts over the coming years, with more creative spaces among their main targets.
The ambitious Arts Plan for 2026 to 2030 was approved during July's plenary meeting. It was created following reviews of their older plan, alongside extensive research and consultation from various stakeholders across the county.
Its sets out five key priorities they hope to achieve during this time: to support, develop and sustain local artists; provide more access to creative spaces; expand participation; share the county’s cultural life through more inclusion and equality; and improve communication and awareness of the arts.
“We built this plan following extensive research and consultation. This involved surveys, public meeting and focus groups with people from the arts community,” explained Michael Owens, the council’s Director of Services for Culture Development during last month's meeting.
“The latest plans have focused on finding more places for artists, and further investing in the arts. That means more storage facilities, workshops, studio spaces, as well as more venues.
“Our Arts Office are doing great work with the small budget they already have. Arts Officer Sharon O’Grady has shown already her huge commitment to promoting the arts in communities across the county.”
The research and development of the Arts Plan began in December 2025. An initial evaluation of the outcomes of the previous plan (2020–2024) provided valuable insights and information which helped to shape the public consultation process.
This included six public meetings, one in each Municipal District and another held online. They were attended by 117 people, among them elected representatives, professional and amateur artists, local arts groups, volunteer committees and members of the public.
An online survey which was open between January and March led to 197 responses, while the council also organised a stakeholder focus group for professional arts organisations, met with festival organisers and members of youth groups. Arts Office staff also had a chance to contribute.
In total the consultation process received 377 engagements, showcasing the wide variety of voices who gave their opinions and helped shaped the latest Arts Plan.
“This plan highlights the importance of the creative sector to Galway. It will help us look at strategic deliverables for the arts that can be achieved across the county,” commented Galway County Council CEO Liam Conneally.
“We will use this plan to leverage for additional funding from different places to pay for several arts projects. The plan for the next five years shows a lot of foresight, and we will try to deliver on it as quickly as possible."