75 arts projects across NI to benefit from £2m of funding

South Wales Guardian

6 days ago

Seventy-five organisations have been given the funding totalling £2,114,195 from the Arts Council's National Lottery Project Funding, to support the development and creation of events through festivals, literature, drama, visual arts, music and community programming.
Roisin McDonough, chief executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: 'Today's National Lottery arts funding investment will have tremendous impact on rural and urban communities across Northern Ireland, with 75 awards made to a diverse range of arts organisations who will deliver exciting, innovative, high-quality, arts-based activities and events.
'Thanks to money raised for good causes, the last three decades of National Lottery funding has made an important contribution to the social, economic and cultural growth of Northern Ireland.
'This vital source of funding allows the Arts Council to support our core infrastructure of skilled arts organisations and also helps develop our creative individuals and artists, who in turn, deliver work across towns and cities all over Northern Ireland.
'We are making the arts more accessible to all.'
The Arts Council said this year it had encouraged applications from rural areas and those which encouraged the involvement of under-represented artists and groups, such as minority ethnic communities, programmes which involved children and young people, older people, or people with disabilities.
Eleven of the 74 organisations to be offered funding are new to the National Lottery project funding portfolio.
Among the groups to benefit will be the North West Cultural Partnership which has been awarded £14,100 to support Songs of Life, a year-long creative programme led by New Gate Arts & Culture Centre, engaging older adults in Londonderry through songwriting, music-making, and performance. The project supports participants in transforming their life stories into original songs, guided by local artists Richard Laird, Eilidh Patterson, and Tracey McRory.
Off the Rails Dance, established by artistic director Eileen McClory, will be awarded £25,000 to support the development of a new body of work and a Northern Ireland tour of GUTTER, the company's solo work.
The Royal Ulster Academy of Arts has been awarded £9,000 to support the expansion of its educational programme, engaging post-primary schools and community groups with its annual show at the Ulster Museum and a permanent, portable historical timeline display will chronicle the RUA's 150-year history alongside global events which will be loaned to community groups and art spaces across Northern Ireland.
Newry Chamber Music has been awarded £50,000 to support its main concert season in 2025-26, which will include seven programmes of music and a new piano festival.
The Portico of Ards has been awarded £40,167 to deliver a year-long programme of 20 national and international music concerts and one choral workshop.