Details of those who received funding in the first round of the Arts Council's newly-restructured Commissions and Projects schemes have been announced. These aim to provide increased funds 'to promote artistic innovation and cross-disciplinary experiment'.

Under the Commissions scheme a total of 250,000 was awarded to 40 artists across all disciplines with 16 composers receiving some 34% of the total. No details of the successful proposals are given but those receiving awards were Elaine Agnew (2,856), Stephen Gardner (3,810), Kevin Volans (8,890), Ben Dwyer (7,620), Andrew Hamilton (3,175), Marian Ingoldsby (5,715), Ronan Guilfoyle (3,682), Eibhlis Farrell (1,552), Michael McGlynn & Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill (9,904), John Buckley (10,000), Raymond Deane (3,429), Kevin O'Connell (3,810), Eric Sweeney (7,213), Roger Doyle (3,000), Frank Corcoran (1,780) and Gerald Barry (9,660). Members of the adjudication panel were Patricia McKenna, Monica Corcoran, Karen Fricker, Anders Beyer and Traolach Ó Fionnáin.

Under the Projects scheme, development funding totalling 578.300 has been awarded to 51 artist-led projects, of which it appears only one, a collaborative sound/vision project called 'Soundshapes' curated by Seán McCrum for Galway Arts Festival 2002, has a music dimension.

The Contemporary Music Centre and the Association of Irish Composers have drawn up a set of fee guidelines for use in conjunction with new music commissions. While advisory rather than mandatory, the guidelines are based on 'the going rate' for commissions in other art forms and jurisdictions and should provide a useful benchmark for anyone involved in the commissioning process, whether as composer or commissioner. There is also a useful checklist of issues which should be discussed by all parties and agreed in writing at the outset of any commissioning process.