Arts Council apologises for mistakenly telling 141 artists they had won 'life-changing' award

Cork Filmmaker Brendan Canty, who directed the music video for Hozier’s ‘Take Me To Church’, said the error was “shocking”.

More than 140 artists were incorrectly told they had won a “highly competitive” and “life-changing” award in a “shocking” error by the Arts Council of Ireland.

A follow-up email sent just a few minutes later clarified the initial email had been issued in error and rescinded the award, leaving dozens of artists in a state of shock and disappointment.

The council said it was “regrettable” that 141 artists were mistakenly told they had won one of 20 Next Generation Awards worth €25,000 in funding, having waited since April for an update.

A spokesperson for Praxis: The Artists' Union of Ireland said there was no “adequate apology” for the error.

“The level of distress that this has caused highlights the financial precarity we face. As artists, we know Arts Council awards like this are a primary source of income. We can only imagine the sense of relief these artists felt when they thought they were funded,” they said.

A spokesperson for The Arts Council said the error was “regrettable” and that an email was issued to apologise “unreservedly”.

“Our mistake has understandably caused upset and disappointment, and for this, we are truly sorry,” they said.

The spokesperson said the council has now put in place additional checks for the issue of decision letters to prevent any repeats of the error.

“Supporting artists is a core goal of the Arts Council, and we sincerely apologise to the artists that we let down on this occasion,” they said.

'Shocking'

Cork Filmmaker Brendan Canty, who directed the music video for Hozier’s ‘Take Me To Church’, said the error was “shocking”.

“A lot of artists live off those sorts of grants, so for those people, €25,000 is a huge award,” he said before adding the funding would have brought a sense of immense relief to many applicants who could now “survive for the year”.

Although one of the 141 artists impacted, Mr Canty said he is secure at the moment, having just completed a project while currently making a film. However, Mr Canty said he was “absolutely delighted” when he received the letter informing him of his success.

“It’s unimaginable how some people who maybe didn’t have much going on would have felt when they got that and then had it taken away,” he said.

Mr Canty said the applications are “notoriously difficult” and require intense work. “To finally be told you’ve gotten something as big as that, for it to be taken away is just the ultimate rejection. It’s really dark.

“When you think about it more and more, and I’m not thinking about me, an apology is not good enough. They really should be offering more support based on that,” he said.