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In a recent announcement, Ireland's media regulator Coimisiún na Meán announced a programme of new all-island and cross border media projects and initiatives worth €14 million under a Shared Island Media Fund. The programme encourages cross-border collaboration projects across film, TV, radio, and journalism with a view to showcasing the island's vast media talent and diverse heritage. The funding was provided by the Department of the Taoiseach under the government's Shared Island initiative which aims to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement.
How will the scheme work?
Coimisiún na Meán, who are in their 20th year of support for Irish TV and radio programming, will offer funding under various categories, including Shared Island Journalism Without Borders, Sound & Vision, Shared Island Shared Stories, and Shared Island Stories & Experiences. Projects must generally have a cross border or cross community element and, for TV/radio, must have a broadcaster attached.
The formal announcement with more information can be found here.
Who is it for?
The scheme is open to all media professionals on the island of Ireland, including producers, creatives and broadcasters. The focus is on cross-border collaboration in reporting, now and in the future.
What does this mean for creative workers in Ireland?
The design of this initiative is to stimulate cross border/community media collaboration and Irish language development. With an expected increase in projects in 2026, this could lead to a higher volume of short term movements of screen, broadcasting, and journalism professionals into Ireland for development, production, and promotional work.
Under the current immigration rules, this could mean a resulting increase in requirements for the following:
- Sport and Cultural Employment Permits;
- Intra Company Transfer Employment Permits;
- Atypical Working Visas; or
- Short stay business visitor or performance visas.
What does this mean for creative workers in Northern Ireland?
We could see a project driven increase in UK demand for creative and media professionals where production activities will be carried out in Northern Ireland. In this case, any increase in moves is likely to be short-term and could fall under the creative provisions of the Visitor route, Permitted Paid Engagements, or sponsored Creative Worker visas. Individuals eligible under the Global Talent route may also use this to complete projects under the initiative.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
