IGI (Illustrators Guild of Ireland)

What IGI (Illustrators Guild of Ireland) does

IGI (Illustrators Guild of Ireland), operating as Illustrators Ireland, is a non-profit professional membership organization founded in 2008 that supports the development of illustration in Ireland. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors of six volunteer illustrator members and operates with a small team of nine employees. It serves 80+ professional illustrators who must meet eligibility criteria including Irish citizenship or long-term residency, at least three years of professional experience, and a minimum of ten commercially published or commissioned pieces. Its core offering is a curated online portfolio platform that showcases member work, organized by category, medium, and subject, enabling publishers, media, and other commissioners to discover and contact Irish illustrators directly.

The organization funds itself through annual membership fees paid by its illustrator members, with the membership year running from 1 June to 31 May. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Beyond the portfolio platform, IGI produces an annual publication, coordinates group exhibitions (including international venues such as Bologna and BIB Bratislava), organizes residencies at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, runs community projects like Exquisite Portraits and Welcomings, and advocates for illustrator rights including copyright protection and AI regulation through the European Illustrators Forum. Strategic partnerships span Culture Ireland, Visual Artists Ireland, Children's Books Ireland, NCAD, Alliance Française, and Dublin City Arts Office. The technology footprint is limited to the WordPress-based portfolio and content site; there are no proprietary AI/ML systems, APIs, or integrated software products.

Name

IGI (Illustrators Guild of Ireland)

Legal name

Illustrators Ireland

Website

https://illustratorsireland.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Illustrators Ireland (IGI) is a non-profit professional membership organization, founded in 2008, serving 80+ vetted Irish illustrators through a curated online portfolio platform, international exhibitions, advocacy, and annual publications, funded by annual membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / Arts & Culture Services

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Cover Design, Illustration & Book Interior Design Services (MPAJAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Picture Book Publishing (MPAJAFAA), Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing (MPAJAAAF)

Keywords

• Illustrator membership association
• Professional illustration services
• Illustration portfolio platform
• Illustration commissioning guide
• Illustration industry advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: Illustrators Ireland generates revenue through annual membership fees paid by professional illustrators. Membership fees are paid annually with payment due the 31st of May. The membership subscription runs from June 1st to May 31st of the following year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Illustrators Ireland is a non-profit professional membership organization that supports the development of illustration in Ireland. It sells annual professional memberships to vetted Irish illustrators, providing curated online portfolio hosting, peer networking via an e-group, exhibition coordination, advocacy on copyright and AI regulation, and international showcasing at events such as the Bologna Children's Book Fair and BIB Bratislava. The organization funds these services through annual membership fees and grants, while also distributing complementary resources including the Illustrators Ireland Annual publication and the joint Guide to Commissioning Illustrators.

Product overview

Illustrators Ireland (IGI) is a non-profit professional membership organization, not a technology product company. It operates a portfolio platform where its over 80 professional illustrator members maintain online profiles showcasing their work. The organization also publishes an annual collection of members' illustrations, organizes community events like the Exquisite Portraits project, and produces solidarity projects such as the Welcomings small books for refugees. Key offerings include membership with portfolio hosting, annual publications, exhibition coordination, and educational resources on commissioning illustrators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Membership with Online Portfolio Platform Annual professional membership for vetted Irish illustrators, providing curated portfolio inclusion on the illustratorsireland.com platform, automatic e-group networking subscription, voting rights at annual meetings, invitations to collaborative promotional projects, professional development events, and social media promotion of members' work.
• Illustrators Ireland Annual Publication Annual print publication showcasing members' best illustrations, documenting the evolution of illustration as an art form in Ireland. First edition released in 2024.
• Guide to Commissioning Illustrators Educational resource co-published with The Association of Illustrators (UK) providing guidance on best practices for commissioning illustrators, aimed at publishers and clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Six members longlisted for KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• BIB (Bratislava Illustration Biennial)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllustrators Ireland arranges participants for Ireland's contribution to the prestigious BIB event. The organization has participated for multiple years (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) and coordinates Ireland's representation at this major international illustration biennial.
• Visual Artists Ireland (VAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllustrators Ireland shares the values of VAI and has adapted VAI's Code of Conduct for its own members, creating a coherent framework for artists and illustrators in Ireland. Also references VAI's Anti-Bullying Policy (Respect and Fairness).
• Culture IrelandmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCulture Ireland supports Illustrators Ireland's participation in international events like BIB Bratislava, enabling Irish illustrators to participate in major international illustration events.
• EIF (European Illustrators Forum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllustrators Ireland is a member of EIF, working with other European illustration organizations on policy matters including AI regulation and copyright protection for illustrators.
• Dublin City Arts OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lab at Dublin City Arts Office serves as a physical location for the organization's activities and postal submissions.
• Alliance FrançaiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Exquisite Portraits project and Comics Festival in Dublin, combining resources for community arts initiatives.
• Children's Books IrelandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards and various children's literature initiatives. IGI members have won multiple awards through this partnership.
• Tyrone Guthrie CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllustrators Ireland organizes illustrator residencies at Tyrone Guthrie Centre, providing professional development opportunities for members.
• NCAD (National College of Art and Design)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular meetings with NCAD to discuss the illustration industry and recent projects, supporting education and industry connection.
• The AOI (Association of Illustrators, UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly published the 'Guide to Commissioning Illustrators' document to help commissioners understand the illustration process.
• RiSaltominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRiSalto hosts the 'Welcomings' exhibition by Illustrators Ireland in Bologna, Italy during the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025, distributing the organization's work internationally.
• Cruinniú na nÓgminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported the Exquisite Portraits online community event with video workshops and resources for families.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI): International organization focused on children's book writers and illustrators. Overlaps with IGI's strong children's book publishing focus but operates globally and includes writers.
• Illustration Age: Online community and resource hub for illustrators offering career advice, listings, and portfolio visibility. Represents the digital-native alternative model to membership-based professional bodies like IGI.

Direct peers

• Society of Illustrators: Long-established US professional association for illustrators, offering portfolio promotion, exhibitions, awards, and advocacy. Closest equivalent in scale and mission for the North American market.
• Association of Illustrators (AOI): The UK's professional body for illustrators, providing portfolio showcasing, advocacy, commissioning guidance, and policy work. Most direct functional analogue to IGI and a confirmed partner on the joint 'Guide to Commissioning Illustrators'.
• European Illustrators Forum (EIF): Pan-European network of national illustration organizations of which IGI is itself a member. Directly comparable as a peer network for policy coordination and international representation.

Broad incumbents

• Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI): Prestigious international body for leading graphic designers, illustrators, and artists. A broader incumbent that provides elite-level international representation overlapping with IGI's internationalization goals.
• D&AD: UK-based organization promoting excellence in design and advertising through awards, education, and events. A broader incumbent with adjacent awards-and-recognition mechanism relevant to IGI's award ambitions.

Others

• Children's Books Ireland: Ireland's national children's books organization, administering the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards in which IGI members consistently win. A close partner and gatekeeper of the awards ecosystem IGI's members compete within.
• Bologna Children's Book Fair: The leading international trade fair for children's publishing where IGI has exhibited 'Welcomings' in 2025. Not a peer organization but a key channel partner that IGI relies on for international market access.

Regional players

• Visual Artists Ireland (VAI): Ireland's national body for visual artists, providing advocacy, professional development, and policy work. A broader-scope regional peer whose Code of Conduct IGI has explicitly adapted for its own members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/illustratorsireland
• Xtwitter.com/illustratorsireland
• Facebookfacebook.com/illustratorsireland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/igi-illustrators-guild-of-ireland-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IGI (Illustrators Guild of Ireland)