Over €6 million is being invested in the Creative Arts hub at GMIT’s Galway campus to accommodate growing student numbers.
GMIT’s Cluain Mhuire Creative Arts & Media Centre will receive a grant of €2.7 million from Enterprise Ireland to build a new Creative Enterprise Hub building and refurbish some of the existing buildings.
This multi-million funding grant announced by Enterprise Ireland for the Comhoibriú CLG ‘Creative Enterprise West’ (CREW) project comes from the Regional Enterprise Development Fund.
On top of the money from Enterprise Ireland, a further €1.1m and substantial in-kind contributions will come from a range of partners including GMIT, the Western Development Commission (WDC), Galway Film Centre (GFC), Údarás na Gaeltachta and TG4.
All of this is on top of the €3 million which was recently approved for investment in the project by the GMIT Governing Body.
The project also provides funding for the employment of a manager and development team who will help develop Creative Enterprise networks and international market opportunities, and support companies in the new CREW hub.
Helen Curtin, Head of the CCAM, proudly said that they have the largest community of creatives in the west of Ireland on their campus.
“With student and graduate numbers increasing it is the ideal environment for Creative Enterprise to start up and develop.”
“We are also developing new programmes aligned with industry that will provide exciting opportunities for people right across the region.”
This investment will involve the re-configuring of existing buildings and addition of new buildings to accommodate increasing student numbers at the campus.
Dr Paddy Tobin, GMIT Head of School of Design & Creative Arts said that they are delighted in this investment, which is a response to the increasing popularity of GMIT’s creative programmes.
We are very grateful to all our partners and stakeholders for working so closely with us,” Dr Tobin said.
“I have no doubt that our graduates and the creative industries throughout the west will benefit enormously from all these investments and developments as they build a creative legacy from now into the future.”
