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Northern Ireland

The Arts make a major contribution to life in Northern Ireland.

They make a strong contribution to the economy, with our excellent arts venues driving the night-time economy, our distinctive arts and cultural attractions drawing visitors and business to the region, and our Creative Industries rapidly becoming one of our main sources of job and wealth creation.

The arts are also firmly engaged at the heart of community life in Northern Ireland – in schools helping to build young people’s confidence and communications skills; in care homes helping older people to cope with isolation and loneliness; in our hospitals introducing a reassuring human dimension to clinical environments; in local neighbourhoods driving the many successful neighbourhood regeneration programmes that are enabling residents to rebuild their communities.

Here are some recent highlights of inspiring work by artists and organisations working in Northern Ireland today, supported by the Arts Council.

Recent Northern Ireland Projects

Artist of the Month June 2017 - Lisa Ballard

Thursday 1st June 2017 at 10am

Lisa Ballard is a contemporary artist from Belfast, where she lives and works as a member of Cathedral Studios. Lisa’s work takes inspiration from the landscape, simplifying an image and exploring negative space, in order to capture a moment in time.

Grey Sky and Pink Blossom by Lisa Ballard

Artist of the Month May 2017 - Karl Harron

Wednesday 10th May 2017 at 9am

Karl Harron is an accomplished Glass Artist and Lecturer originally from Belfast. He is noted for design-led craftsmanship, incorporating both cold-working and fire-polishing techniques to produce pieces that possess beautiful translucent tonal qualities.