RHA Micro Grants for Artists
RHA Micro Grants for Artists

#ReallyHelpingArtists, RHA Micro Grants for Artists was an initiative conceived back in April as a way of creating a positive action amid all of the close-downs and uncertainty of that first full month of lock-down, due to the Covid-19 crisis. The RHA were very aware that the precarious economics that most artists survive on had just become even more impossible in these new circumstances.

The RHA pledged €10,000 from the Hennessey-Craig bequest to try to raise a fund of €30,000 to offer micro-grants to aid artists in any aspect of their existence – rents, utility bills, car expenses, medical. These grants between €100 and €1000 were not going to substitute for an income but could alleviate some anxiety or worry.

  • €63,000+ raised and paid directly to artists in need.
  • 90 artists in total received emergency funding.
  • 350+ generous supporters made donations from €5 - €10,000.

The RHA acknowledged the generous support of Dentsu Aegis Network CEO Liam McDonnell who donated staff time and expertise from Isobar and Carat to help make the Really Helping Artist campaign such a success.

As soon as the campaign began, donations from €5 to €10,000 came in and the original target of €30k was surpassed in less than two weeks. Following 4 weeks of online campaigning the fund closed at just over €63,000 – more than double the original target.

A small committee of artists and staff lead by RHA President Abigail O’Brien rigorously went through an astounding 368 applications as urgently as possible. 90 artists, almost 1 in 4 applications, received notification that their requests had been awarded. The funds will all be disturbed by end of July, 2020. Every region of the country is included and one ninth from Northern Ireland.

For further information see RHA website www.rhagallery.ie