Guinness have launched a major new cultural initiative, designed to champion people whose ideas, passion and spirit are enhancing and shaping Irish culture and identity.

The initiative sets out to invest in Ireland’s creators, visionaries and innovators across four areas of creativity and culture; Music, Sport, Arts and Food.

Together with a mentoring and promotional support programme, Arthur Guinness Projects will invest €3 million ($3.9 million) in people and their projects across Ireland over the next three years, with up to 20 projects benefitting annually.

The Arthur Guinness Projects panel has been created to choose the overall winning projects, but also to provide mentoring and support to the overall winners. Comprised of 16 experts, four within each category, the panel will be spearheaded by Irish band The Script, food guru Dylan McGrath, Donegal inter-county manager and sports consultant Jim McGuinness, and Irish actor Chris O’Dowd.

Applications can be submitted online up until the 9th August, 2013 via www.arthurguinnessprojects.com

The top 10 percent of applications in each category, as voted by the public, will be reviewed by the Arthur Guinness Projects panel, who will then choose the overall winning projects.

Speaking about the new project actor Chris O'Dowd said, "Ireland has been waiting for an initiative like Arthur Guinness Projects."

He added, “There are so many people with amazing ideas and coupled with an energy and passion that us Irish are renowned for, I have no doubt that this will help to unearth some incredible talent."

Donegal’s Jim McGuinness said, “My initial thoughts were what a great idea, how exciting the project was and how much good could potentially come from it. I feel in the current economic climate this initiative will give great support to many people in the sport arena so I ‘m really looking forward to being involved.”

For more on the Arthur Guinness Projects cultural initiative, visit www.ArthurGuinnessProjects.com

Arthur Guinness Projects Launch | The Script, Chris O'Dowd, Jim McGuinness, Dylan McGrath