€20,000 grants on offer to upskill people wanting creative careers in Waterford

€20,000 is being offered to multiple organisations across Waterford who are hoping to pursue a career in creative industries. 

Amazon has launched the Regional Creatives Fund which offers grants to people who want to focus on upskilling for a creative career. 

The grants are available to charities that run programmes aimed at boosting skills and increasing access to creative industry careers in gaming, publishing, fashion, film, advertising, TV, music and more.

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The aim of the Regional Creatives Fund Ireland is to increase access to careers in the creative industries for people from underserved communities.

The fund is open for applications from single charitable organisations across Ireland and will close on November 7th.

Regional Creatives Fund Ireland grants will give charities with existing creative upskilling programmes the flexibility to address their most pressing needs and enhance existing programmes.

Applicants must currently be running a programme that focuses on upskilling people from underserved communities for careers in creative industries.

Examples of programmes that a grant can be used for include funding for placements in game development studios, music production training, and portfolio development for future advertising creatives.

"The Regional Creatives Fund Ireland is about reducing barriers to entry within Ireland’s creative sector and working with charities who are already making a difference to help them reach even more people. We're excited to combine financial support with Amazon's industry expertise to create real pathways into creative careers across Ireland," Alison Dunn, Country Manager for Amazon in Ireland, said.

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In addition to financial support, the Regional Creatives Fund Ireland will also use Amazon’s network of creative industry professionals to offer charities pro bono upskilling programmes for their organisations. 

This includes mentoring, work experience, placement opportunities, and digital training.

Support will be provided by creative minds from Amazon Music, Prime Video, Amazon Games, and more.

Grants will be awarded by an independent judging panel made up of senior leaders from Amazon, The National Concert Hall, Writers Guild of Ireland, Business to Arts and Digital Hub.