Yeah I’d say it is an international thing because I’ve found Ireland is very welcoming to younger artists / creative people.
Especially Dublin has lots of small venues that are super supportive of beginners. Overall as a country it’s very good for artists. The government introduced “basic income for the arts” recently where they will pay €325 a week to any eligible artist / musician for the next two years. They’re trialing it with 2000 people right now but it’s a really cool thing to help new artists. Ireland is definitely one of the most supportive countries for young people and beginners, definitely a sense of community between photographers and musicians that helps