Limerick Arts Office has announced details of the country's first subsidised living space scheme for artists.

An open call has been made to recognised cultural practitioners, including contemporary visual artists, performers, musicians and writers, to apply for the use of six newly-refurbished residential apartments at John's Square.

The Square reopened to the public earlier this year following a €1.5m redevelopment by Limerick City Council and John's Square can now be considered Limerick's Living Cultural Quarter.

Arts Officer Sheila Deegan said the scheme forms part of Limerick City Council's strategy to further enhance and develop the steady growth in cultural infrastructure in Limerick that in turn helps to support the local cultural economy.

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"Potential residents include recent graduates who are contributing to the arts in the region through projects and activities associated with the Creative Limerick spaces and the possibility of attracting mid-career artists back to Limerick for a time, by offering this residential support. The apartments provide the soft infrastructure created by a community, with the informal sharing of expertise and experiences. The initiative also provides a further infrastructural support for Limerick National City of Culture 2014."

Ms Deegan noted that the apartments are situated in the heart of a burgeoning living cultural and arts quarter in Limerick, which also includes Dance Limerick, a new resource in the former Daghdha premises, for the promotion of dance in Limerick and its surrounds.

Operating from the ground floor and basement of 1 & 2 John's Square, with a beautiful performance space in St. John of the Cross Church, Dance Limerick aims to provide opportunities for dance artists to develop and perform new work alongside an engaging programme of performances, talks and projects for the wider public.

(CD/JP)