Boys’ Model Students uncover the untold stories of North Belfast

Wednesday 22nd March 2023 at 11am 0 Comments

The year 10 boys have been training as young reporters, working under the guidance of experienced journalist Mark Devenport and Nerve Belfast to create a magazine, uncovering the hidden history of the area and its people.

The project is part of the Creative Schools Partnership Programme – a pioneering cross-government programme funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland through National Lottery funding, the Education Authority and Urban Villages Initiative. Boys’ Model is one of eleven schools currently engaged in the programme and was awarded funding of £15,000 last year to develop a two year project.

All of the schools awarded funding are located in Urban Village areas and have been given the opportunity to develop their own bespoke creative projects which bring professional artists into the classroom to teach new skills, support educational learning and strengthen community connections.

As part of the project the boys have been learning interview techniques, how to write and construct a story and how to design and lay them out on page. Once completed, the magazine will be distributed within the community. They have also been working on the designs for a new colourful wall mural, which will be displayed locally.

Sarah Lawrence, Education Manager, The Nerve Centre, Belfast, explained:

“The boys have been working with the Nerve Centre to design and layout their articles using professional software. We have explored different approaches to magazine design, and have encouraged the pupils to think critically about how their choice of images/photographs, colours, typography and other design elements can be used to enhance their individual articles. They have also had experience of creating their own digital artwork that has complimented the graffiti and mural artwork they have been creating as part of the project. Additionally, the boys have had opportunity to hear about wealth of opportunities in the creative industries in Northern Ireland and how important the knowledge and skills they are learning throughout this project are for their future pathways.”

Speaking about the success of the project Conor McManus, Senior Teacher, Belfast Boys’ Model School, commented:

“As well as learning about their area and the unsung heroes that inhabit it, the boys have grown in confidence, as they develop their creative skills and embrace new ways of learning – making connections between the work they do in school and the world around them.”

Director of Urban Villages Joan O’Hara praised the enthusiasm of everyone involved in the project, commenting:

The eleven schools taking part in the Creative Schools Partnership Programme are Lisneal College, Belfast Boys’ Model School, St Joseph’s Boy’s School, Blessed Trinity College, Ashfield Girls’ High School, St Cecilia’s College, Mercy College Belfast, St Vincent’s Centre, Belfast Model School for Girls, Malone Integrated College, and St Colm’s High School.

Happy International Women’s Day from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland!

Wednesday 8th March 2023 at 10am 0 Comments

Catherine McWilliams, Visual artist
Born in Belfast in 1940, Catherine McWilliams is a visual artist known particularly for her landscapes and studies of the female form. She studied at Ulster University's Belfast School of Art and began exhibiting her work in 1961. McWilliams taught art for many years and was head of Foundation Studies in Art at Rupert Stanley College in Belfast until 1990. Together with her husband and fellow artist, Joseph McWilliams, she opened the Cavehill Gallery in 1986. Paintings by Catherine McWilliams are part of the public collections in the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and The National Self Portrait Collection at the University of Limerick. The artist currently has an exhibition showing at the F.E McWilliam Gallery & Studio entitled, Catherine McWilliams: Selected Work 1960-2021.

Claire Murray, Head of Development & Marketing, Lyric Theatre
Claire Murray worked for 15 years in strategy, marketing, and sustainability at a senior level in Coca-Cola and Heineken Ireland and at the National Trust and The MAC Belfast managing their marketing and communications. Claire is currently Head of Development and Marketing at the Lyric Theatre and an independent theatre producer supported by Stage One and is Vice-Chair of Theatre and Dance NI. She is a founder member of the Green Arts Collective, whose aim is to provide a collective cultural response to the Climate Crisis in Northern Ireland.

Jenna Hall, CEO at Circusful
In late November 2018 Jenna Hall joined Circusful as Chief Executive. Before moving to Northern Ireland for the role, Jenna had worked for over 20 years to help improve outcomes for children, families and communities. With an MA in Education and Community Learning, a coaching accreditation and being a champion of partnership working, she had previously led teams across the UK with the aim to increase children and young people’s access to arts and culture. Jenna joined the board of International circus body, Caravan, in 2019 and in 2020 joined the boards of Cathedral Quarter Trust, the Strand Arts Centre and became a Director of The Gymnastics and Trampoline Network. She is also the co-Chair of Belfast Festivals Forum and an active member of the Arts Collaboration Network and believes in the power of circus and adventure as tools with which to change lives.

Giselle Allen, Soprano
Irish soprano and opera singer, Giselle Allen, is a recipient of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Major Individual Artist award, given in recognition of the contribution the artist has made to creative life in Northern Ireland, and to produce a substantial and ambitious project that will make a significant contribution to the development of their professional career.

Born in Belfast, Giselle has appeared in many productions with Northern Ireland Opera, including Mimi La bohème, Senta Der Fliegende Höllander and the title role of Rusalka. She has also appeared with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in the role of Minnie La fanciulla del West. In 2023 Giselle will revive the title role of Tosca for Opera North before performing Praskov’ya Osipovna Nos (The Nose) at La Monnaie, Brussels, and 3rd Norn Götterdämmerung for Opernhaus Zürich.

Sarah McAvera, Deputy Director, Golden Thread Gallery
Sarah McAvera has worked extensively to diversify the arts sector in Northern Ireland, devising projects and gaining funding from Community Foundation NI, VSB Foundation and the Art Fund. Projects have included working with women's groups of refugees and asylum seekers and creating art packs for child refugees. This work has resulted in the gallery being shortlisted for the Calouste Gulbenkian Civic Organisation of the year.

Sarah has over fifteen years of professional experience in the arts as a project manager, curator, facilitator and fundraiser. As Deputy Director of the Golden Thread Gallery, her specialist knowledge includes: strategic development; fundraising; management; stakeholder engagement; curation; and writing. Sarah mentors both artists and arts professionals, and has helped hundreds of artists and young arts professionals in developing their careers.

Sinead Owens – freelance artist specialising in Stage Management
Sinéad Owens is a Production Manager and Stage Manager who has been working professionally in the theatre industry since 2016. She has worked with GBL Productions, Brassneck Theatre Company and Creation Theatre, Oxford and is an Associate Artist with Big Telly Theatre Company. Throughout the pandemic, she became known for her technical ability to Stage Manage shows over online platforms and was approached by Queens University Belfast, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Alfred University, New York, to run workshops on creatively using Zoom in a theatre setting. She was awarded 'most innovative use of technology' for Macbeth in 2020 with Big Telly Theatre Company at the Red Curtain Theatre Awards. Sinéad is currently Production Managing ‘My Corona’ with Brassneck Theatre Company (dir. Tony Devlin) which opens on International Women’s Day 2023.

Cath McBride, Company Director, In Your Space
Cath McBride is the Company Director of In Your Space Circus based in Derry-Londonderry. Cath graduated from Cardiff University in English Literature and worked in youth development with overseas charity Raleigh International and then Belfast Activity Centre. The Circus came calling in 2008 when she joined Belfast Circus School as their Senior Fundraiser. Cath's focus is mainly on company development and fundraising to ensure great things can happen for lots of people, with an aspiration that In Your Space Circus will spread quirky, colourful, happiness across Derry-Londonderry...Northern Ireland...and eventually The World!

Deirdre Gribbin, Composer
Composer Deirdre Gribbin was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She is a recipient of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Major Individual Artist award, given in recognition of the contribution the artist has made to creative life in Northern Ireland, and to produce a substantial and ambitious project that will make a significant contribution to the development of their professional career Deirdre was also an award winner in the 2003 UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers with her work Empire States, and won a prestigious Arts Foundation Award for her first opera Hey Persephone! which had an acclaimed run at the Aldeburgh/Almeida Opera Festival. The composer’s music has been performed worldwide including The Lincoln Center in New York. She works extensively with theatre, film and dance and is a Fulbright, Churchill and Leverhulme Fellow.

Deirdre completed the music score for Margo Harkin's Stolen about Ireland's Mother and Baby Home Scandal which premiered at the 2023 Dublin International Film Festival. Her song cycle Kindersang featuring the work of Kindertransport survivor Lotte Kramer was recently performed at Lincoln Center, New York and Center Irlandais, Paris. She is currently completing a cello concerto called Mna, for the BBC and the Ulster Orchestra for performance in 2024. Visit www.deirdregribbin.com

Raquel McKee, Caribbean Poet, actor, storyteller and singer/songwriter
Raquel McKee is a multitalented artist with a passion for justice. She seeks to broaden the audience for poetry with her Dub Poetry as well as more traditional forms. Her storytelling is a favourite of both children and adults, and her role as Asha in Lives in Translation lives on in the memory for many. Raquel is a recipient of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Minority Ethnic Artists and Residency Scheme, as well as a recipient of Jamaica Cultural Development Commission award. She has had poems and articles published in a number of magazines and anthologies and is a volunteer for the African and Caribbean community. She is a member of the John Hewitt Committee and runs her arts business, Colourscope, through which she operates 'Words 4...' to raise funds for charities.

Claire Kieran, Arts Officer, AnDroichead
Claire Kieran is the Arts Officer and programmer at An Droichead, Belfast’s leading Irish language and traditional arts organisation. She has directed the annual arts programme and a yearly festival which celebrates the best in Irish Traditional music, including artists such as Donal Lunny, Glen Hansard, Moya Brennan, Altan, Martin Hayes and many more. She established the award-winning Belfast Traditional Music Trail the first of its kind in the city and since its launch in 2017 has introduced the story of traditional music in the city to thousands of visitors from around the world. Claire was a member of the steering group for the successful Belfast UNESCO city of music bid.

Kenneth Montgomery, OBE (28 October 1943 – 5th March 2023)

Wednesday 8th March 2023 at 9am 0 Comments

Following stints as music director of Bournemouth Sinfonietta and Glyndebourne Touring Opera, and the start of his regular guest conductor appearances at Santa Fe Opera, Kenneth Montgomery accepted the post of artistic and music director of Opera Northern Ireland in 1985. Having contributed for some years as a guest conductor at the Ulster Orchestra, he would go on, between 2007 and 2010, to become the first Belfast native to hold the post of Principal Conductor. At the time, Mr Montgomery said he was “flattered” to be working “with one of my favourite orchestras”.

Kenneth Montgomery would later make his home in the Netherlands, a country with which he already had a long-affiliation, dating back to the mid-1970s. As principal conductor of the Dutch Radio Symphony Orchestra, he conducted a large number of broadcast performances, including many premieres of new Dutch pieces. In 1991 he was appointed director of opera studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, where a chair in opera studies was set up in his name.

He was a well-known internationally, appearing regularly as guest conductor with the Orchestre National de France, the Accademia de Santa Cecilia in Rome and the CBC Vancouver Orchestra, as well as performing with symphony orchestras as far afield as Belgium, Germany, the USA, Mexico and New Zealand.

Kenneth Montgomery was awarded an OBE in 2010 for services to music in Northern Ireland and, in the same year, he accepted an Honorary Doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, paid tribute:

“Kenneth Montgomery was a very important figure in the development of the Ulster Orchestra. He brought experience and an international standing to the post of Principal Conductor of an orchestra that he was with from the very beginning, when it was first established by the Arts Council in 1966. He is warmly remembered by the Arts Council, the Ulster Orchestra, and by Northern Ireland audiences who were fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to enjoy the selfless touch of magic he invariably brought to the Orchestra’s performances. Our condolences and heartfelt sympathy to his loving husband, Jan, and wider family circle at this very sad time.”

Actor, James Martin & Director, Ross White set their sights on winning an Oscar for An Irish Goodbye

Tuesday 7th March 2023 at 12pm 0 Comments

The film was shot on location Derry~Londonderry, Templepatrick and Saintfield and stars James Martin, Seamus O'Hara, Paddy Jenkins and Michelle Fairley. An Irish Goodbye is a dark comedy set on a rural farm in Northern Ireland that tells a story of two estranged brothers, one with Down’s Syndrome, played by James Martin, who come together after their mother's death to set about to fulfil their mother's "bucket list" with her ashes before they sell off the family farm. Sunday will be a double celebration for actor James Martin as he celebrates his birthday and attends the Academy Awards, thanks to The National Lottery players and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Recently the Arts Council had the chance to chat to Ross and James about the film ahead of the big night on 12 March.

One of the film’s directors, Ross White received a grant of £1,125 in 2020-21 from NI Screen for Short Film Development support, a programme that is funded by The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and more recently actor James Martin received £1,286 of National Lottery funding through the Arts Council’s Travel Awards to support him and an accessibility support worker to attend the Academy Awards.

Alison McCrudden, Head of Literature and Drama, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“Huge congratulations to the team and cast of An Irish Goodbye in winning a BAFTA and being nominated for an Oscar. Thanks to The National Lottery players, the film received support in its development stage back in 2020-21 and now National Lottery funding is supporting actor James Martin to attend the Oscar ceremony in Hollywood. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is thrilled for all involved and wish them every success this Sunday at the Oscars - they’ve already won just by being in the room!”

Selected cinemas will present a special screening of An Irish Goodbye as part of their Homecoming Tour. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with cast and crew. Visit www.floodlightpictures.co.uk for details.

New opera, ‘Nobody/Somebody’, premieres at the Belfast Children’s Festival

Thursday 2nd March 2023 at 4pm 0 Comments

‘Nobody/Somebody’ has been inspired by the youth activists of the PPR organisation who have been campaigning and raising awareness about homelessness, housing stress and the lack of available social housing for young people in Belfast. The opera was commissioned by Northern Ireland Opera with funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland during the pandemic and from the outset has been designed around giving young people involvement in the production and performance of the work. There will be five performances of ‘Nobody/Somebody’ from 3-5 March, featuring NI Opera’s emerging artists and the Ulster Youth Orchestra.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland said:

“The Arts Council is proud to support ‘Nobody/Somebody’. At the very heart of this ambitious new production will be the voices and opinions of the young people who have inspired the work. Written and composed by two hugely talented artists, Fionnuala Kennedy and Neil Martin, produced by NI Opera, with performances by players from the Ulster Youth Orchestra, this landmark production will be one not to be missed when it makes its premiere at this year’s Belfast Children’s Festival.”

The creative team includes Director, Andrea Ferran, and Music Director, Matthew Quinn. Andrea Ferran said,

“Northern Ireland Opera and Cameron Menzies have an incredible track record of commissioning new music, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with young people in Belfast on the premiere of this timely new opera. Housing stress, the cost-of-living crisis and financial precariousness are social injustices demanding our urgent attention. I’m excited to collaborate with Fionnuala Kennedy and Neil Martin to bring these important issues to the stage.”

Eibhlín de Barra, Director of the Belfast Children’s Festival, added,

“After having featured in Belfast Children’s Festival 2022, as a work in development performance, we are thrilled to include Nobody/Somebody in our programme for 2023, our 25th anniversary. As well as entertaining our audiences, we aim to acknowledge and address some of the issues being faced by wider society through festival performances. Using the real-life stories of young people and writer Finn Kennedy, Nobody/Somebody has placed young people in the driving seat to share their own lived experience and we look forward to the conversations and debates it will no doubt promote.”

NI Opera employed Youth Counterparts to work alongside each key creative role in the production. To select these young people, NI Opera worked with Belfast-based charity, Springboard, to identify young adults with an interest in creative careers who may previously have faced barriers to developing skills and their exploring options in the arts.

While this new opera has grown out of the inspiring work of the PPR activists in Belfast, the story it tells about housing stress and the effect this has on the wellbeing of young people is something which will be familiar to young people across the world. Northern Ireland Opera is planning a tour of the production and are looking for partners in the UK and beyond to ensure that this exciting and important new work reaches as wide an audience as possible.

Tickets for ‘Nobody/Somebody’ can be bought at www.niopera.com

Find out more about the Belfast Children’s Festival at https://www.youngatart.co.uk/festival

Spark Opera awarded funding to develop new musical work with students at Ardnashee

Thursday 2nd March 2023 at 1pm 0 Comments

Over the next six months students will work with professional artists to devise a new musical work, entitled Tribe. The workshops will be tailored to specifically meet the complex needs of students, with a focus on promoting positive mental health and self-expression.

Spark Opera is one of 24 groups set to benefit from funding worth £190,000, thanks to National Lottery funding through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

The ARTiculate Young People and Wellbeing Programme was set up by the Arts Council to help give a voice to young people (aged 12-18) through drama, music, visual arts and literature activities. In September, organisations were invited to apply for up to £10,000 each to support arts-led projects, with a particular focus on developing projects which included young people experiencing higher levels of disadvantage or exclusion and more vulnerable groups, such as those living with a mental health condition, eating disorders or addiction.

Lorraine Calderwood, ARTiculate Young People and Wellbeing Programme Manager at the Arts Council, commented:

“Thanks to funding from the National Lottery, we are delighted to announce grants for 24 organisations today through the ARTiculate Programme. The positive links between engagement in the arts and our health and wellbeing are firmly established and we believe that this programme is more important than ever post-pandemic, as young people across Northern Ireland continue to recover from the effects of lock-down and social isolation.

“The funding announced today will support a fantastic range of creative projects in communities across Northern Ireland. With this funding, we want to reach out to some of the most vulnerable children in society to engage them in fun and creative arts projects, which help build confidence and promote self-expression. It was a pleasure to be able to visit Ardnashee Special School and meet the students as they embark on this hugely exciting project with Spark Opera.”

Kate Guelke is the Director of Spark Opera, a community opera company, committed to making the arts accessible for all.

“We are so excited to be working with Ardnashee. Tribe is a collaboration, harnessing the school's ethos of radical inclusivity and belonging and turning it into a musical. This project will build on a pilot project which we ran with the school in 2022, with funding from the TeleCommunity Fund and will celebrate the power of music to bring people together.

“When people are next to each other, sharing a sound or rhythms, they connect in a way that is beyond words. It's so good for mental health. For young people especially the benefits can be amazing.”

Emma O’Kane, Senior Teacher and Assistant SENCO at Ardnashee School and College, commented:

“Ardnashee School and College are delighted to be able to avail of funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and working in collaboration with Spark Opera to reach our most bespoke set of learners. Pupils with complex needs rely on an immersive multisensory approach to be able to fully engage with the environment around them. Through the production of Tribe our complex needs learners will experience a variety of creative arts methodologies which will take them through a magical theatre production incorporating dance, drama, live music and visuals.

“The process of devising theatre through carefully planned workshops onsite enables our very complex needs learner to have a voice throughout the process. Pupils will undoubtedly reap the benefits of the project in relation to improving mental health and, to quote Professor Barry Carpenter, 'this year more than ever, we need to ensure that wellbeing is at the heart of our education system'."

The 24 organisations awarded funding through the 2022/23 Articulate Programme are:

• Arts Ekta
• BEAM Creative Network
• Belfast Exposed Photography
• Boom! Inc
• Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich
• Derry Theatre Trust Ltd t/a The Millennium Forum
• eduSOIL CIC
• Excite - Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership
• Fresh Minds Education Ltd
• FUEL
• Gasyard Development Trust
• Golden Apples Players
• Greater Shantallow Community Arts
• Magnet Young Adult Centre
• NI Opera
• Oh Yeah Music Centre
• Open Arts
• Spark Opera Company
• Suicide Awareness & Support Group
• The Lyric Theatre (NI)
• Ulster Touring Opera
• Waterside Theatre Company Ltd
• WheelWorks
• Young at Art Ltd

Full details of awards made available from http://artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/articulate-awards-22-23.pdf

Rory Friers, Stunt Double Music, Three’s Theatre Company and Yellow Designs share in £95,000 funding

Wednesday 22nd February 2023 at 12pm 0 Comments

The funding is part of the Creative Industries Seed Fund, a programme which aims to develop partnerships that will use the arts within new and emerging digital, immersive technologies to expand the possibilities of how the arts can be developed and distributed in new and innovate ways. It also aims to assist arts organisations, entrepreneurs, and creative businesses to undertake projects that contribute to the growth of the creative industries and unlock future income generation.

Karly Greene, Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships, at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“Today’s announcement is welcome news and I congratulate the organisations involved. Thanks to The National Lottery players, this funding will support innovative and exciting projects that develop and distribute the arts in new and innovative ways using digital and immersive technologies. The Creative Industries Seed Fund reflects the Arts Council’s continuing commitment to encouraging innovative practices that cross artform boundaries and build digital capabilities within the Northern Ireland arts sector.”

Among those offered funding through the Creative Industries Seed Fund are:

Rory Friers
Funding amount offered: £25,000
Project: Holonic Field
Holonic Fields is an interactive music and visual experience that allows up to three participants to dynamically explore a real-time composition. Participants will be able to freely move through the space, embodying a deconstructed music composition. Their bodies and movements will be visually reflected in abstract 3d form, yet also dynamically connected to the audio. The project will be showcased at the Northern Ireland Science Festival in 2024. Holonic Field aims to inspire the participants through its gestural, augmented and collaborative approach to creative expression. To reimagine what music and musical composition means.

Yellow Branding & Digital Media Unlimited
Funding amount offered: £24,250
Project: Dreamer's Space
Dreamer’s Space is an AR-based storytelling project that is a user-centered, creative educational programme that can be exhibited in creative spaces such as arts venues and schools. Dreamer’s Space will use children’s artwork, narrative and creative choices to inspire their own version of Web AR Dreamer's Space. The aim is to create a child centred, engaged experience that validates the child's creativity and imagination by putting children in the driver's seat in making the creative choices in the experience . The project aims to inject more creativity into the classroom, in a bid to improve educational outcomes for students.

Stunt Double Music Ltd
Funding amount offered: £22,875
Project: The Vox Set @ Mussenden Temple: A Virtual Reality Music Experience
Following a successful virtual reality (VR) music project performed, shot and recorded in Mussenden Temple in early 2022, Stunt Double Music Ltd, has partnered with The National Trust to deliver a series of high quality immersive musical concerts in Mussenden Temple this summer. The programme of six concerts is being curated by Hannah McPhillimy (aka Ferna, NI Music Prize Single of the Year winner 2022) and will feature musical collaborations between contemporary and classical artists. The creation of the project will also involve students from Ulster University.

Three’s Theatre Company
Funding amount offered: £22,875
Project: UnSmart Home / Internet of Things
The Unsmart Home is an immersive experience designed to engage children aged 7-11 in computer programming in a creative and interactive way. The 2022 pilot centred around a room designed from the ground up with smart-home technology, featuring interactive displays and coloured changing lights. Through a set of coding challenges, participants must restore order to the room and help cure the Smart Home Assistant.

Learnings from the pilot will shape an “Internet of Things” version of the project which will be easily transported to schools and events, and include two levels, creating different challenges for secondary school students aged 12-16. Three’s Theatre Company will be responsible for sound design, story writing, experience and set design and their project partner, Queen’s University Belfast, will focus on the building and delivery of individual puzzle components to fit together into a cohesive experience.

The Creative Industries Seed Fund is now closed with all available funding allocated. For details on all Arts Council funding opportunities visit www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding

Tackling loneliness one note at a time

Thursday 16th February 2023 at 1pm 0 Comments

REAP aims to provide an integrated, cohesive approach to the needs of rural communities as they emerge from the global Covid-19 pandemic. The overarching theme of the Arts Council established programme is to tackle isolation and loneliness, and promote social inclusion and wellbeing through participation in the arts in rural areas.

The Pick-Me-Up choirs will meet for seven weeks and people can just turn up on the day to the free sessions taking place at the following locations and times:

Carnlough Heritage Hub, Thursdays at 11.00-12.30
Broughshane Fold, Thursdays at 14.00-15.30
Bridge Hall in Glenarm, Fridays at 11.00-12.30
Ballygalley Community Centre, Fridays at 13.00-14.30

The project will culminate with a Pick-Me-Up Performance Day on Saturday 22nd April when all the singers, from over the seven weeks, will perform alongside Glenlough Community Choir, the award-winning Open Arts Community Choir and other professional musicians.

Anne McCambridge, Director of Glenlough Community Choir, commented,

"We can’t wait to welcome both the larks and the crows from Ballygalley, Broughshane, Carnlough and Glenarm areas to be part of our Pick Me Up Chorus on Thursdays and Fridays over the next two months! All that’s required is that you love to sing.

Singing is so good for our bodies and our souls, it helps us create new connections within our rural communities by addressing the effects of social isolation, post-covid. We look forward to sharing the joy of connection through music during these free rehearsal sessions. We are building up to Saturday 22nd April, when all our groups will sing together as part of our ‘Pick-Me-Up Performance Day’ with Glenlough Community Choir, the world renowned Open Arts Community Choir, and our own excellent house band.”

Sonya Whitefield, Arts Development Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to support Glenlough Community Choir through the Rural Engagement Arts Programme. We know that taking part in arts activities can raise self-esteem, boost confidence and motivation, as well as alleviate isolation and loneliness. The pandemic and the resulting lockdowns have taken a toll on individual lives, with mental health and well-being adversely effected and this has been compounded in rural communities which are characterised by smaller, more dispersed populations.

Thanks to The National Lottery players, this funding will increase opportunities for people living in rural communities to engage and participate in meaningful arts activities, enriching their lives for the better. The Arts Council believes that arts can make a vital contribution to building wellbeing, confidence and healthy, integrated communities.”

Watch Choir Director Anne McCambridge talk about the project here - https://fb.watch/iFXBuVeygP/

Visit www.facebook.com/GlenloughCommunityChoir

35 UK music creators receive support to attend SXSW 2023

Tuesday 14th February 2023 at 5pm 0 Comments

The artists receiving support are:

Adwaith - (Wales)
ALASKALASKA - (England)
Bellah - (England)
Brighde Chaimbeul - (Northern Ireland)
Brooke Combe - (Scotland)
Camilla George - (England)
Dea Matrona - (Northern Ireland)
Dead Pony - (Scotland)
Desta French - (England)
DoomCannon - (England)
Edie Bens - (Wales)
Elephant Sessions - (Scotland)
Fergus McCreadie - (Scotland)
Ishmael Ensemble - (England)
Jaz Karis - (England)
Jessica Winter - (England)
Kadeem Tyrell - (England)
Lemonade Shoelace - (Northern Ireland)
LIME GARDEN - (England)
Low Island - (England)
Max Cooper - (England)
Panic Shack - (Wales)
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - (England)
Poster Paints - (Scotland)
Prima Queen - (England)
Queen Millz - (England)
Red Rum Club - (England)
Robocobra Quartet - (Northern Ireland)
SIPHO. - (England)
The Golden Dregs - (England)
THE HARA - (England)
VLURE - (Scotland)
Voka Gentle - (England)
Wynona Bleach - (Northern Ireland)
Yazmin Lacey - (England)

Supported artists based in Northern Ireland that are being showcased includes Robracobra Quartet, Wynona Bleach, Dea Matrona, Brighde Chaimbeul and Lemonade Shoelace

The full schedule of official showcases for artists supported by the International Showcase Fund will be available on PRS Foundation’s website in the coming weeks.

The International Showcase Fund is run by PRS Foundation in partnership with Department for Business and Trade, Arts Council England, British Underground, Musicians Union, Creative Scotland, PPL, Wales Arts International, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland. It offers vital and timely support for artists to take their first steps into international territories by enabling them to perform at key showcasing festivals and conferences such as Canadian Music Week, SXSW, Reeperbahn Festival, Zandari Festival, Womex, Eurosonic, Jazzahead and Mutek which attract thousands of people working in the music industry from every corner of the globe.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is thrilled that five musical acts based in Northern Ireland will be showcased at this year’s SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. We are committed to providing valuable, meaningful opportunities for our artists to develop and this opportunity does just that by giving artists the chance to connect with industry leaders whilst shining a light on the tremendous talent that is inherent to Northern Ireland. We are proud to partner with PRS Foundation and Invest Northern Ireland in this important initiative which is enabling export ready artists vital access to a global stage.”

Additionally, International Showcase Fund support is available for virtual performances at international showcases, or performances at UK based showcase events that have an export industry audience. To find out more and to apply for International Showcase Fund visit PRS Foundation’s website.

In the fund’s report spanning 2016-19, 91% of supported artists returned from overseas showcasing with tangible business outcomes and every £1 invested by the International Showcase Fund generated an additional £6.20 in revenues for the supported artist. (Read the full report). Supported artists include, Dave, Kae Tempest, Little Simz, Yard Act, Nova Twins, Everything Everything, SBTRKT, AJ Tracey, and Wolf Alice.

Listen to the International Showcase Fund at SXSW 2023 playlist on Spotify.

Arts Council NI publishes consultation report on Access Scheme for disabled audiences at arts venues

Thursday 9th February 2023 at 10am 0 Comments

More information on the scheme can be found at Access Scheme | Arts Council England. A programme of consultation undertaken in spring 2022 by Perceptive Insight on behalf of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland has helped to strengthen our understanding of the needs of local disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent audiences and arts venues and to establish the demand for the scheme in Northern Ireland.

Key findings based on the consultation:

• There is not currently a consistent approach across venues to providing support for disabled, D/deaf and neurodivergent audiences.
• 81% of potential users would be in favour of an Access Card Scheme which is eligible across all participating venues.
• Venues and event organisers expressed a positive view of an Access Card.
• Key issues to be addressed include data protection, compatibility of venues’ booking systems, and the recognition that not all venues are able to provide the same level of access and support due to limitations with older premises.
• Venues would prefer a ‘light touch’ process to proving eligibility to the scheme.
• 65% of respondents, including potential users, event organisers and venues, would prefer to see the card scheme provided free of charge.
• To realise the full potential of the proposed Access Scheme and maximise ease of use for users, the Scheme would need to be adopted widely.

The Disability Access Card Scheme Research Report is available to download at: http://artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/Disability_Access_Research_Final_Report_May_2022.pdf

This research will be used to inform the design of the scheme in Northern Ireland. The Arts Council will continue to work closely with the sector in the development phase of the scheme to ensure it complements and adds value to existing services.

The Art Council’s Strategic Development Department conducts a programme of research and evaluation to provide evidence and intelligence that supports arts and culture organisations to improve their practice and to demonstrate their impact. Designated as a producer of Official Statistics, we produce a range of annual and stand-alone reports to inform art and culture policy and demonstrate alignment to government’s key targets as set out in the Programme for Government.

For further information, email: strategy@artscouncil-ni.org

10 titles shortlisted for 2023 KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards

Wednesday 8th February 2023 at 6pm 0 Comments

This year's shortlist, which includes four debut authors, will compete for the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Book of the Year and five other awards, including honours for fiction, illustration and a Junior Juries' Award which will be decided by young readers from across the country. A total prize fund of €16,000 will be awarded to this year's winners, who will be announced at a special ceremony at the International Literature Festival Dublin on Wednesday, 24th May.

The Shortlist

Among the shortlisted titles for younger readers are:

An Slipéar Gloine, an Irish language retelling of the famous Cinderella fairytale, written by debut children’s author Fearghas Mac Lochlainn and illustrated by Paddy Donnelly (Futa Fata).

The Boy Who Lost His Spark, an atmospheric long-form picture book, written by award-winning author Maggie O'Farrell, and illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Tarrazzini (Walker Books).

One & Everything, a thought-provoking celebration of stories and written languages, written and illustrated by Sam Winston (Walker Books).

Be Wild, Little One, an uplifting picture book which explores the beauty of nature, written by debut author Olivia Hope and illustrated by Daniel Egnéus (Bloomsbury Children's Books)

The Wilderness, a colourful adventure tale of bravery and friendship, written and illustrated by Steve McCarthy (Walker Books).

For readers aged nine and up, the shortlist includes:

Girls Who Slay Monsters, a collection putting strong female characters back at the heart of Ireland's ancient myths and legends, written by debut author Ellen Ryan, illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald (HarperCollins Ireland).

Run for your Life, a moving and empathetic telling of a young girl's experience of seeking asylum in Ireland, written by Jane Mitchell (Little Island Books).

The Lost Girl King, a sophisticated fantasy tale which puts a twist on the myths of Tír na nÓg, written by Catherine Doyle (Bloomsbury Children's Books).

The Book of Secrets, a unique supernatural page-turner drawing on traditional Irish folklore, from debut author Alex Dunne (The O'Brien Press).

Truth Be Told, a young adult novel which explores family secrets, religious differences and suppressed sexuality, written by Derry-based writer and peace-worker, Sue Divin (Macmillan Children's Books).

Founded in 1990 and sponsored since 2020 by KPMG Ireland, the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards are recognised as the most prestigious awards for children's books in Ireland, celebrating the best of Irish writing and illustration for young people.

Children's Books Ireland, the national charity and arts organisation which administers the awards, has assembled an independent panel of expert judges for the 2023 Awards, including a Young Judge, aged 15+, and a network of Junior Jurors nationwide.

Speaking at the announcement of the 2023 shortlist, Elaina Ryan, CEO of Children’s Books Ireland, said: ‘Year after year, we are blown away by the incredible talent in Irish children’s writing and illustration, and this year’s shortlist raises the bar yet again. The shortlisted books announced today represent voices from across the island of Ireland, drawing on some of our most ancient myths and legends and the diverse experiences of children and young people today. We’re delighted that our Junior Juries will have such a rich tapestry of Irish writing and illustration to dig into!’

Seamus Hand, Managing Partner of KPMG Ireland, said: ‘We’re delighted to once again support these awards and to help promote the benefits and enjoyment children gain from reading from an early age. The quality of the shortlisted nominees is fantastic and it highlights the great writing and illustration talent that we’re so fortunate to have here in Ireland.’

The KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards and Junior Juries programme are supported by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery Funding.

Damian Smyth, joint Head of Literature and Drama at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: ‘We are lucky to have a wealth of hugely talented writers and illustrators here on the island of Ireland. These awards recognise some of the most outstanding books of the last year – the picture books, stories and novels that have captured the hearts and imaginations of young readers. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to be associated with these important awards and offer our congratulations to all those who have made this year’s shortlist.’

Arts Council publishes evaluations of Covid Recovery programmes

Wednesday 8th February 2023 at 1pm 0 Comments

The main aim of the Creative Individuals Recovery Programme, which opened for applications in September 2021, was to help individuals working in the creative economy to reactivate or maintain their trade, profession or vocation. The main aim of the Covid Recovery Programme for Arts Organisations, which opened in January 2022, was to reduce operating deficits in eligible organisations which had arisen in the 2021/22 financial year due to the pandemic.

Key findings:

Creative Individuals Recovery Programme:

• 1,210 artists received £2.3 million in funding.
• The average grant was £1,892.
• 70% of recipients surveyed received no funding from other public funders.
• 98% of recipients surveyed said the grant meant they could maintain their creative skills in the absence of work.
• 88% of recipients surveyed reported that the grant helped them to protect their career.
• The programme increased overall awareness of funding and support available to people working in the creative economy.

622 recipients responded to the survey (41% response rate)

Covid Recovery Programme for Arts Organisations

• 39 organisations received £1.734 million in funding.
• Grants ranged from £3,535 to £273,308.
• 9 of the organisations surveyed reported having lost more than 50% of their earned income as a result of the lockdown.
• 20 of the organisations surveyed said they would have been unable to remove their financial deficit without their grant.
• The grant enabled arts organisations to restart providing services, including: reaching new audiences (18), supporting artists (15) and working with communities (14).

23 recipients responded to the survey (59% response rate)

Creative Individuals Recovery Programme Evaluation: Key Findings is available to download at: http://artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/CIRP_Evaluation_Feb_2023.pdf

Covid Recovery Programme for Arts Organisations: Survey of Grant Use and Impact is available to download at: http://artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/CRPAO_Use_and_Impact_Survey_Feb_2023.pdf

The Art Council’s Strategic Development Department conducts a programme of research and evaluation to provide evidence and intelligence that supports arts and culture organisations to improve their practice and to demonstrate their impact. Designated as a producer of Official Statistics, we produce a range of annual and stand-alone reports to inform art and culture policy and demonstrate alignment to government’s key targets as set out in the Programme for Government.

For further information, email: strategy@artscouncil-ni.org

Award-winning drama reflecting struggles of living in care system to be showcased in Brussels

Wednesday 8th February 2023 at 10am 0 Comments

The play, written by Fionnuala Kennedy and jointly directed by Emma Jordan, is a fictional account of a young man’s experiences living within the state care system. The story is based on a series of real life interviews and accounts from looked after children in Northern Ireland.

The production is the latest to travel to the Belgian capital as part of the Brussels Platform, a joint initiative by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, with funding from the National Lottery, and the Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels. Launched in 2011, the Brussels Platform has previously hosted writers, musicians, theatre practitioners and dancers, providing opportunities for NI based artists to showcase their work to international audiences, including MEPs and EU representatives in Brussels.

Looking forward to the performance and future tour dates in Paris, The Hague and Adelaide, Una NicEoin, Executive Producer at Prime Cut Productions said: “We are all so proud here at Prime Cut Productions to be able to tour this wonderful production again. We have been privileged to work with an amazing team of artists and have the support of really visionary and committed partners – Arts Council NI, Belfast City Council, Centre Culturel Irlandais, Culture Ireland, The Bozar, The MAC, STET Theatre and of course VOYPIC and Young At Art, who were there from the very start. We are so looking forward to sharing Removed with audiences across Europe.”

Siobhán Molloy, Arts Development Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, congratulated Prime Cut on the production saying, “It’s a pleasure to once again be working with the NI Executive Office in Brussels to bring Prime Cut’s Removed to the Bozar Theatre. It’s a hugely powerful and emotive work and we know the themes and stories will resonate with international audiences. The Arts Council has been working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels to support our artists as they set about forging international careers. The opportunity to showcase our exceptional talent in the headquarters of the European Union is a testament to the talent and excellence of Northern Ireland artists.”

‘Removed’ originally debuted at the Belfast Children’s Festival in 2019 but the idea for the play was six years in the making and first came about when Prime Cut were engaged in a large scale multidisciplinary community engagement project, The Secret City, with ten youth groups across Greater Belfast. The project explored youth culture and how younger people experienced and felt about living in an urban post-conflict city. One of the groups involved was VOYPIC, a charity for children and young people living in care. From there grew the aspiration to develop a piece which would reflect their experiences of being ‘Looked After’.

Playwright and Director Fionnuala Kennedy spent time talking and listening to the young people at VOYPIC using their experiences to shape the story and the play’s central character, Adam. She says it’s an honour to have the opportunity now to take Adam’s story to new audiences: “I’m delighted ‘Removed’ is traveling to the Bozar Theatre. It’s a privilege to get to take this story, inspired by young people in Care in Northern Ireland and share their stories internationally, hopefully making connections with those with similar experiences in Europe.”

Support for Cathedral Buildings fire agreed for former tenants

Tuesday 7th February 2023 at 4pm 0 Comments

Today (Tuesday 7 February 2023) the Arts Council of Northern Ireland announced that 13 former tenants of Cathedral Buildings, are set to benefit from £154,696 of exchequer funding, supported by the Department for Communities (DfC) and Belfast City Council, as part of the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme.

On Monday 3 October 2022, the Old Cathedral Buildings on Donegall Street, Belfast, was devastated by fire severely impacting the livelihoods of the many creative businesses, sole traders and practicing artists based there.

Following an initial exercise to gauge the former tenants’ needs, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, in partnership with the Department for Communities and Belfast City Council, launched the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme in December 2022. The programme offers former tenants funding to counter the costs incurred as they relocate and seek to re-establish themselves.

Dr Suzanne Lyle, Head of Visual Arts, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland welcomes this good news and is grateful to the Department for Communities for making this vital funding available to those whose livelihoods were devastated by the Cathedral Buildings fire. This funding is absolutely critical in helping these artists and arts organisations reactivate their work, sustain their artistic practice and manage existing projects.”

John Ball, Head of DfC’s Arts Branch said: “The Department’s support to those impacted by the fire in the Cathedral Buildings is a signal of the importance placed on the people and organisations who work to make our arts sector what it is. We were pleased to be able to work together with the Arts Council, Belfast City Council and Libraries NI to provide this practical and much needed help.”

Councillor Ryan Murphy, Chair of Belfast City Council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee said: “The impact of the fire has been devastating for the former tenants of Cathedral Buildings. As well as providing funding, we’ve worked in partnership with the Destination CQ BID, to support tenants to relocate, to navigate their insurance policies where possible, and to offer business support services. I’m glad that we’ve been able to collaborate with the Department for Communities and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to give these businesses and cultural organisations vital support and I wish them all every success in their new locations.”

Aidan Mulholland (T/A Mulholland Violins), a bow maker and restorer of stringed instruments, is set to receive £45,280 from the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme. Mr Mulholland’s restoration work ranges from fitting new bridges through to full scale restoration of antique instruments. He will use the funding to replace specialised tools, wood and instrument parts, as well as re-stock antique violins, violas and cellos for restoration - the basis of his specialist work.

Aidan Mulholland commented, "Assistance from the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme will allow me to get my business back, and to offer my customers the same level of service. I can return to bow making once I replace the specialist tools and wood I lost in the fire. Local string players will have a full repair/restoration service for their instruments and have somewhere to purchase restored quality violins."

Another recipient of the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme is Digital Arts Studios (DAS), a non-profit organisation that provides artists' residencies, equipment hire, training, outreach and exhibitions. DAS is a space for artists and creatives to work, learn and advance their careers and the organisation aims to support and encourage visual artists whose innovative work merges with digital technologies. DAS will use their funding to replace equipment that will be used by visual artists on the DAS residency programme and by participants in their in-studio workshops, training and support hub services.

Dr Angela Halliday, Director, Digital Arts Studios, commented, “Digital Arts Studios is delighted to have received funding from the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme. This funding will help purchase essential equipment for artists to use to develop skills and create new work. Digital Arts Studios is grateful to the Department for Communities, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council for this much-needed assistance, and we look forward to welcoming artists to our new premises at 1 Exchange Place, Belfast, where they can make use of the new equipment and resources.”

All those set to receive funding through the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme includes:

Aidan Mulholland T/a Mulholland Violins (£45,280)

Dermot Gibson (£600)

Digital Arts Studios (£21,100)

Ellen N Blair (£829)

Elly Makem (£607)

Excalibur Press Ltd (£21,851)

Form Native Limited (£11,461)

Hazel Alderdice T/A Perfect Fit (£5,045)

Jennifer Mehigan (£11,405)

Nicholas J Larkin T/A Roscio Films (£4,207)

Oranga Creative Ltd (£12,804)

Suzanne Magee (£1,573)

Timothy Farrell (£17,934)

Support for Cathedral Buildings fire agreed for former tenants

Tuesday 7th February 2023 at 4pm 0 Comments

Today (Tuesday 7 February 2023) the Arts Council of Northern Ireland announced that 13 former tenants of Cathedral Buildings, are set to benefit from £154,696 of exchequer funding, supported by the Department for Communities (DfC) and Belfast City Council, as part of the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme.

On Monday 3 October 2022, the Old Cathedral Buildings on Donegall Street, Belfast, was devastated by fire severely impacting the livelihoods of the many creative businesses, sole traders and practicing artists based there.

Following an initial exercise to gauge the former tenants’ needs, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, in partnership with the Department for Communities and Belfast City Council, launched the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme in December 2022. The programme offers former tenants funding to counter the costs incurred as they relocate and seek to re-establish themselves.

Dr Suzanne Lyle, Head of Visual Arts, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland welcomes this good news and is grateful to the Department for Communities for making this vital funding available to those whose livelihoods were devastated by the Cathedral Buildings fire. This funding is absolutely critical in helping these artists and arts organisations reactivate their work, sustain their artistic practice and manage existing projects.”

John Ball, Head of DfC’s Arts Branch said: “The Department’s support to those impacted by the fire in the Cathedral Buildings is a signal of the importance placed on the people and organisations who work to make our arts sector what it is. We were pleased to be able to work together with the Arts Council, Belfast City Council and Libraries NI to provide this practical and much needed help.”

Councillor Ryan Murphy, Chair of Belfast City Council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee said: “The impact of the fire has been devastating for the former tenants of Cathedral Buildings. As well as providing funding, we’ve worked in partnership with the Destination CQ BID, to support tenants to relocate, to navigate their insurance policies where possible, and to offer business support services. I’m glad that we’ve been able to collaborate with the Department for Communities and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to give these businesses and cultural organisations vital support and I wish them all every success in their new locations.”

Aidan Mulholland (T/A Mulholland Violins), a bow maker and restorer of stringed instruments, is set to receive £45,280 from the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme. Mr Mulholland’s restoration work ranges from fitting new bridges through to full scale restoration of antique instruments. He will use the funding to replace specialised tools, wood and instrument parts, as well as re-stock antique violins, violas and cellos for restoration - the basis of his specialist work.

Aidan Mulholland commented, "Assistance from the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme will allow me to get my business back, and to offer my customers the same level of service. I can return to bow making once I replace the specialist tools and wood I lost in the fire. Local string players will have a full repair/restoration service for their instruments and have somewhere to purchase restored quality violins."

Another recipient of the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme is Digital Arts Studios (DAS), a non-profit organisation that provides artists' residencies, equipment hire, training, outreach and exhibitions. DAS is a space for artists and creatives to work, learn and advance their careers and the organisation aims to support and encourage visual artists whose innovative work merges with digital technologies. DAS will use their funding to replace equipment that will be used by visual artists on the DAS residency programme and by participants in their in-studio workshops, training and support hub services.

Dr Angela Halliday, Director, Digital Arts Studios, commented, “Digital Arts Studios is delighted to have received funding from the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme. This funding will help purchase essential equipment for artists to use to develop skills and create new work. Digital Arts Studios is grateful to the Department for Communities, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council for this much-needed assistance, and we look forward to welcoming artists to our new premises at 1 Exchange Place, Belfast, where they can make use of the new equipment and resources.”

All those set to receive funding through the Cathedral Buildings Fire Support Programme includes:

Aidan Mulholland T/a Mulholland Violins (£45,280)

Dermot Gibson (£600)

Digital Arts Studios (£21,100)

Ellen N Blair (£829)

Elly Makem (£607)

Excalibur Press Ltd (£21,851)

Form Native Limited (£11,461)

Hazel Alderdice T/A Perfect Fit (£5,045)

Jennifer Mehigan (£11,405)

Nicholas J Larkin T/A Roscio Films (£4,207)

Oranga Creative Ltd (£12,804)

Suzanne Magee (£1,573)

Timothy Farrell (£17,934)

Art Lending Scheme showcases NI Artists in Schools

Thursday 2nd February 2023 at 4pm 0 Comments

St Louis, along with Magherafelt High School and St Patrick’s College Maghera, recently received works as part of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Art Lending Scheme for Schools. The scheme offers schools the opportunity to exhibit works from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Contemporary Art Collection with the aim of promoting the work by local artists and to increase opportunities for young people to be inspired by and engage with high-quality visual arts.

The Arts Council’s Art Lending Scheme for Schools is a free programme which enables participating schools to choose and exhibit works from the Arts Council Collection, which currently holds over 500 artworks, by established and emerging visual artists working in Northern Ireland. The scheme was officially launched in 2019 and to date 12 schools have taken part.

Joanna Johnston, Visual Arts Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said,

“We are delighted to be able to bring these stunning works of art out into schools. We hope the students enjoy engaging with them in their school environment and draw inspiration from them.

“We are honoured to have so many wonderful artists represented within the Arts Council’s contemporary art collection, including two-times Turner Prize nominee, Willie Doherty; Cara Murphy, whose work is included in the Downing Street Sliver Collection; and Colin Davidson, who painted the Queen’s portrait in 2016. We work closely with each of the schools to choose pieces to go on display, including paintings, ceramics, sculpture and photography. By offering the collection for public display in schools, we are helping to showcase the work of our artists and to introduce the public to Northern Ireland’s wealth of creative talent. We hope through the course of this year to extend the collection out into more schools and are keen to hear from schools who’d like to take part.”

Among the pieces on display at St Louis are Remnant by Anne Butler, The Medium and the Massage, Into the Void by Leo Boyd and Bemusing Board by Ellen Nesbitt. Also on display is a very special work by textile artist Mairead McCormick, a former St Louis pupil.

Eilish McDonald, Head of Arts and Moving Image Arts, St Louis Grammar School, commented:

“It is a huge privilege to be loaned five artworks from the Arts Council. It has been a pleasure working with Joanna and the team to curate artwork that best suits our school space. To exhibit work by renowned Irish artists in our Creative and Expressive Arts Centre, allows us to make connections between learning in the classroom and a future career as an artist. We were able to select work that links directly to current projects, providing vital inspiration for our pupils. We are especially happy to have our past pupil Mairead McCormick's work on display.”

The Arts Council is keen to hear from schools that are interested in taking part in the scheme and are also on hand to help advise and curate an exhibition for each school if required. For more information email collection@artscouncil-ni.org.

Lyric Theatre wins prestigious ‘Theatre of the Year’ at UK Theatre Industry Awards

Tuesday 31st January 2023 at 7pm 0 Comments

Sharing the award alongside London’s Bush Theatre, the Lyric Theatre was recognised for its programme, which featured eight-full scale productions, seven of which were new works, as well as for its online festival of skills development sessions, called Play/Write, and its open call for new work. It also received recognition for their work to attract under-represented audiences through LGBT+ productions, and for their extensive education and outreach programme.

Lyric Executive producer Jimmy Fay said the Lyric Theatre was "about the people who make the work" and dedicated the award to the venue’s staff, audiences, actors and writers. Jimmy also added it was "vital" that an active producing theatre remained at the heart of our creative arts and industry in Northern Ireland.

The Stage editor Alistair Smith said: "At a time when new writing in the UK is facing damaging cuts, we are delighted to be able to celebrate two wonderful producing theatres who are staging some of the most exciting new work around, while also maintaining and extending their support to playwrights.”

Lyric Patron Liam Neeson who sent his congratulations said: “Many, many congratulations to Jimmy, his superb staff and of course the audiences: we couldn’t make theatre without them and their loyal and constant support over the past 70 years. I, personally couldn’t be more proud of you all!”

Arts Council Chief Executive Roisín McDonough added her congratulations, saying, “As Northern Ireland’s leading producing theatre, the Lyric Theatre occupies a very special place in our creative and cultural landscape. The Arts Council is proud to be the Lyric’s principal funder, supporting outstanding productions at a truly outstanding theatre.”

Helen Lewis; Shadows Behind the Dance

Friday 27th January 2023 at 11am 0 Comments

The new book Helen Lewis; Shadows Behind the Dance, launched on Fri Jan 27th 2023 (International Holocaust Memorial Day), is Maddy Tongue’s heartfelt portrait of the dancer Helen Lewis (1916 – 2009, née Helena Katz), who survived Auschwitz to teach dance in Belfast. This beautifully presented book is published by Irish Pages Press/Cló An Mhíl Bhuí, the winner of the 2022 British Book Awards Small Press of the Year (Island of Ireland) and supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

More than simply a dancer’s biography, the new book is a stunning collection of memoir, history, poetry and art, from significant contributors who knew Helen Lewis in her lifetime and held her dear.

Helen Lewis’ own acclaimed memoir published in 1997 (A Time to Speak, Blackstaff Press), told the story of the first thirty years of her life in Czechoslovakia, from childhood to her professional training as a choreographer and dancer. It also detailed her devastating account of Nazi persecution, of loss and suffering in the Holocaust: Helen came very close to death.

Maddy Tongue in Helen Lewis: Shadows Behind the Dance (The Irish Pages Press, 2002) now completes the post-war story of this extraordinary woman who overcame unimaginable suffering to become a creative force in Ireland. The author’s friendship with Helen Lewis lasted for more than fifty years. As a dancer Maddy performed in many of Helen’s significant works and in this book, she describes Helen’s creative approach, her struggle to overcome an Irish indifference to modern dance, her pursuit of perfection and her unshakeable belief in humanity. In Ireland today the presence of modern dance owes much to Helen Lewis’s innovative teaching and practice. Helen Lewis; Shadows Behind the Dance is supplemented with Chris Agee’s 2002 interview with Helen, “An Irish Epilogue”.

Agee said, “Maddy’s book is a piece of exceptional literary content and a major reflection of the post war cultural landscape in Belfast. I had the pleasure of meeting Helen Lewis myself and I find Maddy’s story of her struggle to develop modern dance in the aftermath of war in Europe highly moving. This book and others in The Irish Pages Press stable are bringing great quality writing and essays from Belfast and Northern Ireland, to many more people on these islands and internationally – it’s one of the primary, long-term aims of both The Irish Press and its Journal.” The book includes five Holocaust poems by Michael Longley and drawings by Sarah Longley (who was a pupil of Helen’s). Helen’s sons, Robin and Michael, have also written a Foreword. Shadows behind the Dance has been generously funded through subscription by family, friends, colleagues and admirers of the unforgettable Helen Lewis.

Helen Lewis; Shadows behind the Dance will be launched on International Holocaust Memorial Day Friday Jan 27th at 4:30pm at the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast: For free tickets Contact https://crescentarts.org/whats-on/helen-lewis-shadows-behind-the-dance/

NI Children’s Writing Fellow calls out to schools to explore visual literacy

Thursday 26th January 2023 at 12pm 0 Comments

Appointed to the prestigious role at the beginning of 2022 by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Queen’s University Belfast as part of their joint Seamus Heaney legacy project, Paul has been based at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s for the last 12 months where he has been drawing up plans to use visual literacy as a tool to help children develop their confidence as both readers and storytellers.

As an award-winning author and illustrator, his interactive workshops encourage children to use drawing as a gateway to connect with books and put their own ideas on paper. Over the past year he has engaged with over 2,100 school children, visited 24 schools and learning centres, and held residencies at Belfast Book Festival and the Burnavon Arts Centre in Cookstown.

For his second and final year in post, Paul is continuing these free workshops and is encouraging schools, particularly those in Counties Fermanagh, Derry-Londonderry and Armagh, to apply for a place in the early summer or autumn 2023 term via the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s. Twelve schools have already confirmed workshop places, with a visit to the Burnavon planned for World Book Day in March confirmed too. Those lucky enough to experience Paul’s workshops will be treated to an insight into his creative process, and encouraged to craft their own stories, drawing along with him to dream up the next chapter for one of his best-loved characters from The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark or create a new book cover for this classic book.

Paul Howard commented: “Visual literacy is telling narratives through images not words, which is how very young children first experience literature. But it can help all children with literacy as it offers an enjoyable, alternative way to tell stories, from which confidence can be built before words are introduced. Most children enjoy the freedom visual literacy offers and, as an illustrator primarily, visual literacy is where stories really begin to take shape.

“My first year as Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland has flown by, with memorable moments found visiting Rathlin Island’s only school and a week in Mid-Ulster spent within Special Educational Needs Schools and Learning Support Units. For my second year I look forward to engaging with more schools who have never experienced an author/illustrator visit before – particularly in the West, the North West and Southern counties – and would, in better weather, like to share some sessions outside of school grounds for children to find story inspiration in different environments.”

Damian Smyth joint Head of Literature and Drama at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “It has been fantastic to hear feedback from schools and the children who have had a workshop with Paul over the past 12 months. He brings with him an incredible energy and passion and it has been wonderful to see so many of the schools using his visit as a starting point for encouraging pupils to experiment with their own writing and drawing. Paul is such a talented author and illustrator and we are hugely honored to have him as our Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland.”

About Paul Howard
After gaining a First Class Honour’s Degree in Graphic Design & Illustration in 1989, Paul Howard worked at The Natural History Museum before becoming a full time illustrator. His work has since won acclaim from the publishing industry and children across the world.

During his 30 year long career he has collaborated with some of the greats of children’s literature such as Allan Ahlberg, Michael Rosen, Geraldine McCaughrean, Anne Fine, Trish Cooke, Martin Waddell and John Boyne, and won numerous awards including a Blue Peter Award for The Bravest Ever Bear and The Primary English Award for The Year in the City.

Aside from his numerous school, library, bookshop and arts centre visits across Northern Ireland, Paul has appeared at many literary festivals, including Hay, the Edinburgh Book Festival and the Belfast Children’s Festival.

Paul has lived in Belfast for over 20 years with his wife and their three children. Alongside illustrating for others, he has also had a range of his own stories published: young fiction titles, picture books and board books, the latest of which was 1,2, BOO! for Bloomsbury.

In February 2022, Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton chose The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark as the CBeebies Bedtime Story to mark Children’s Mental Health Week (7th-13th February).

Teachers can register their interest in booking a free illustration workshop with Paul Howard for their school by contacting the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University Belfast. Go to www.bit.ly/CWF-Paul-Howard for more details on how to apply.

Beyond Skin, DU Dance & The MAC to collaborate with leading German arts organisations

Wednesday 18th January 2023 at 1pm 0 Comments

With investment from seven major partners: Fonds Soziokultur, Goethe-Institut London, Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, British Council, Creative Scotland and Arts Council of Wales/Wales Arts International, Cultural Bridge is the first project that sees all organisations collaborate on a single fund.

The aim of the Cultural Bridge programme is to act as a platform of artistic exchange, enabling others to discuss social issues, strengthen the exchange between the UK and Germany and foster collaboration and cultural democracy. It does this by providing funding for partnerships to develop projects around specific themes including community engagement in post-industrial areas, working in areas or with communities that have fewer opportunities to engage with cultural practice or those transformed by grass-roots activism and projects that explore redefining the use of public space.

The new programme follows a pilot year that funded the creation of 7 partnerships between 2021-2022. Three of the pilot projects, ENTER, FAILSTONE and Ode to Earth (Phase 2) have been awarded funding to continue to develop their projects through Cultural Bridge 2023 - 2024. Key learnings and the impact of the pilot year programme is available through the evaluation report published today on the Cultural Bridge website at www.cultural-bridge.info

The 2023 – 2024 programme partnerships applied through an open call which received over 95 applications, a testament to the international cultural sector’s commitment to developing work that enables social change. Applications were assessed and reviewed by an independent jury of professionals across UK and Germany.

Dr Katharina von Ruckteschell-Katte, Director, Goethe-Institut London said:

“We are thrilled at the variety and richness of the projects that have been selected to participate in Cultural Bridge this year. The focus on arts organisations with clear ambition to provide greater arts access and to develop socially engaged arts practice complements our wider programme of work, both here at the Goethe-Institut London and with our colleagues working globally. From new beginnings to established European partnerships, we look forward to seeing this collaborative UK/German project evolve and mature into the future.”

Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to partner with Fonds Soziokultur, Goethe-Institut London and our arts funding colleagues across these islands in the Cultural Bridge programme. This important initiative offers a valuable opportunity for our artists to engage with their counterparts in the UK and Germany with the aim of using the arts to connect communities, develop shared understanding and facilitate social change through the creation of new work. Congratulations to DU Dance, Beyond Skin, The MAC and all those who have received support through this important initiative.” /p>

Beyond Skin, DU Dance (Northern Ireland) and VILLA Leipzig (Germany) will develop phase 2 of their project, Ode to Earth. The project will allow for cultural engagement on multiple levels, including engagement with young people from another country, travel and new cultural experiences, as well as interaction with music, dance, theatre and civic engagement as cultural mediums. The result is that young people will build a global network, feel more connected to the global community and other countries, and experience art as a medium for creative and cultural political expression and activism.

Philipp Niese on behalf of VILLA Leipzig and Beyond Skin & DU Dance said:

"With the help of the new funding, we are not only able to maintain our partnership, but have also been able to gain a new partner. This will enable us to give our young participants even greater opportunities to promote exchange between Belfast and Leipzig, and thus make a creative contribution to combating climate change."

The MAC (Northern Ireland) and coculture e.V. (Germany) will develop a project called ‘At The Table’, a project that will address issues faced by asylum seekers and refugees, support campaigning for changes to national immigration rules, combat negative stereotyping of migrants and work to improve the integration of migrants into wider society.

Elaine Forde on behalf of The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre) and coculture e.V. said,

“The MAC Belfast and coculture Berlin are delighted to have been awarded funding from Cultural Bridge. Through our collaboration, we aim to use the arts to explore themes of migration, asylum and sanctuary by co-designing and producing socially engaged projects with people seeking asylum. By working in partnership, both organisations will learn new practices and have greater ability to effect positive change for individuals and the communities in which we work.”

The 2023 – 2024 partnerships are:

Tier one projects (new partnerships receiving funding up to £10k):

• Illuminate Together - Handmade Parade (England) and Kapuziner Kreativentrum (Germany)
• Co-creating with young voices - Mahogany Opera Group (England) and Frequenz_Festival Kiel (Germany)
• Bespoke - Make Works Scotland 'Paved with Gold' (Scotland) and Kulturzentrum LUISE (Germany)
• Going spaces: forming new connections and fostering collaboration - Motorenhalle Dresden (Germany) and SET studios London (England)
• Our EARTH Hour - MOTTE eV. Stadtteil & Kulturzentrum (Germany) and Head4Arts (Wales)
• Playing with Audio Walks: Storydive meets Produced Moon - Produced Moon (Scotland) and Storydive (Germany)
• At the Table - The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre) (Northern Ireland) and coculture e.V. (Germany)
• Strictly Scottish and Schottish - Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland (Scotland) and Folk Dance Society of Germany (Germany)
• Female Spaces - vier.D (Germany) and ACCA / Slung Low (England)
• In Each Other’s Company - National Dance Company of Wales (Wales) and Of Curious Nature (Germany)

Tier two projects (existing partnerships receiving funding up to £30k):

• ENTER - Creative Black Country (England) and Kuturvilla Nellie (Germany)
• FAILSTONE - Folkestone Fringe (England) and Fine Arts Institute Leipzig - FAIL (Germany)
• Ode to Earth (Phase 2) - VILLA Leipzig (Germany), Beyond Skin and DU Dance (Northern Ireland)
• Between Moons. Spree~Channelsea Transmissions - Soundcamp CIC (England) and Archipel Stations (Germany)

Follow all of the projects’ progress and latest updates on Twitter and Instagram using #CulturalBridge or visit www.cultural-bridge.info

Six exceptional musicians awarded the BBC NI & Arts Council NI Young Musicians’ Platform Award

Sunday 15th January 2023 at 1pm 0 Comments

The biennial awards which are run by the Arts Council in collaboration with BBC Northern Ireland, aim to showcase and support the development of gifted young musicians from the region by providing individual funding awards of up to £5,000. This funding enables the recipients to spend a sizeable amount of time learning from a master musician, mentor, teacher or composer either in Northern Ireland or abroad.

As well as this training opportunity, the awardees will receive two professional BBC radio broadcast engagements, including one with the Ulster Orchestra on Thursday 16 March 2023 at the Ulster Hall, Belfast. Performances at this level raise not only the professional profile of the young musicians but also give a boost to their performance experience.

Highlighting BBC Radio Ulster’s continuing commitment to specialist music and to developing new musical talent, four presenters from the station will mentor the new awardees in helping them prepare for their upcoming performances with the Ulster Orchestra which will be broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle. John Toal, a classical pianist and presenter of Classical Connections will mentor the three classical musicians while Folk Club presenter, Lynette Fay, will mentor the folk musician, Stephen McCauley of The Stephen McCauley Show will mentor the singer-songwriter and Linley Hamilton will mentor the jazz awardee.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented:

“The Arts Council is committed to providing valuable, meaningful opportunities for our artists to develop their professional careers and we are hugely proud to partner once again with BBC Northern Ireland to offer these awards to exceptional young musicians. Congratulations to all six musicians on receiving these awards which offer a unique opportunity to develop musical skills, learn from the best and perform live with the Ulster Orchestra. All of the previous recipients of this award have gone on to have incredibly successful careers in music and I’ve every confidence that the new recipients will benefit greatly from this experience.”

Paul McClean, Executive Editor Music, Arts and Events, BBC Northern Ireland, said:

“At BBC Radio Ulster we are the station ‘Where Music Matters’ to us. We are dedicated to providing our listeners with the best in specialist music and nurturing new talent is something we are extremely passionate about. We are delighted to be involved in finding new classical, traditional, jazz and singer/song writing artists and to be able to have our listeners engage in their journey as they grow and develop with some help from John, Lynette, Linley and Stephen, each of whom has a deep love of music.”

Previous recipients of the Young Musicians’ Platform Award include acclaimed classical pianist, Michael McHale, soprano, Laura Sheerin, harpist, Richard Allen, violinist, Michael Trainor; folk artists, Jack Warnock, Conor Mallon and Niall Hanna; singer-songwriter Roisin Donald/Roe; and jazz musicians, Ed Dunlop and Katherine Timoney, among others.

Free tickets to the BBC Invitation Concert featuring the Young Musicians’ Platform Award recipients and the Ulster Orchestra on Thursday 16 March will be released in due course at www.ulsterhall.co.uk and www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours

For more information on Arts Council of Northern Ireland funding opportunities visit www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding

About the awardees

Classical Awardees:
Owen Lucas, tenor
Owen Lucas is an opera singer who began his studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. In 2019, he was accepted onto the Glyndebourne Academy, under the direction of Mary King. His vocal talents have been recognised early on, and he has been performing regularly with Northern Ireland Opera, participating in productions such as Die Fledermaus (2019) and La Boheme (2021). Recently, he portrayed the role of Gastone in the production of La Traviata (September 2022).

Owen has performed regularly with St. Anne's Cathedral Choir (Belfast) and the Ulster Consort, under the direction of Matthew Owens. He is a frequent performer with local choral societies, and has achieved success in singing competitions in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. He won the tenor solo at the Dublin Feis in 2021, and the Northern Ireland Opera's Festival of Voice Debra Voigt Opera Prize and Audience Prize in 2022.

Rebecca Murphy, soprano
Rebecca’s operatic roles include Blonde Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Oper Köln), Frasquita Carmen (Oper Köln), Sandmännchen/Taumännchen Hänsel und Gretel (Oper Köln), Pünktchen Pünktchen und Anton (Oper Köln), Woglinde Das Rheingold für jung und alt (Oper Köln), Dritte, Norn/Woglinde Götterdämmerung für jung und alt (Oper Köln), Helmwige in Die Walküre für jung und alt, (Oper Köln), Amsel/Huhn Der Fuchs, der den Verstand verlor (Oper Köln), Liscione La Dirindina (Northern Ireland Opera), Ella Evening Primrose (Northern Ireland Opera), The Vile Little Girl The Musician (The Belfast Ensemble), Mabel Pirates of Penzance (The Belfast Ensemble), Rose Maurrant Street Scene (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Soprano 1 Le Vin Herbé (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), First Witch Dido and Aeneas (Sestina Ensemble) and Maria West Side Story (Grand Opera House, Belfast). An advocate for children’s opera, she has also performed in a tour of Pampelmousse by Greg Caffrey (Northern Ireland Opera).

Also a skilled Ensemble Singer, Rebecca has appeared with Chamber Choir Ireland, the Charles Wood Singers, Savonlinna Opera Festival Choir (Finland), Sestina Ensemble, Genesis Sixteen, The Kellie Consort, RCS Voices, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and Les Sirénes. In concert, she has made her recital debut at the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival (in association with the Irish Heritage Bursary Prize 2017 – Wigmore Hall). She was also recently invited by BBC Northern Ireland to record a recital as part of their ‘Rosemary Street Young Artist recital series’.

Rebecca’s concert performances include Handel Messiah, Handel Alexander’s Feast, Jenkins The Armed Man, Bach Cantata BWV 199, Bach Magnificat, Brahms Requiem, Rutter Magnificat, Beethoven Mass in C, Vivaldi Gloria, Stanford Requiem, Mozart Vespers, and Handel Dixit Dominus.

Rebecca graduated with a Master of Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2018, under the vocal tutelage of Wilma MacDougall. Previously, she studied with Debra Stuart at Queens University Belfast, where she gained a Bachelor of Music. Rebecca continues her studies privately in London with Kathryn Harries. She has worked extensively in masterclasses and coachings with Oliver Klöter, Bruno Caproni, Julian Evans, Stefan Vinke, Sabine Vinke, Walter Sutcliffe, Rachel Nichols, Mairead Hurley, Lisa Milne, Sam Evans, Ailish Tynan, David Gowland, Iain Burnside, Lawrence Zazzo, and Christopher Underwood.

Rebecca - having been based in Cologne, Germany for the last 2 years, where she was a full time singer for Cologne Opera House, has recently moved back to Northern Ireland.

Andrew Masterson, tenor
Andrew Masterson is a Lyric Tenor from Omagh, Co.Tyrone and Alumni of the Royal Northern College of Music. He graduated with First Class Honours in both his Masters (MMus) and Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) at the College between 2016-2020, and studied with Tutors Thomas Schulze and Nicholas Powell. Andrew first explored the possibility of a career in singing during his Undergraduate degree at Queens’ University Belfast.

He was a consistent performer during his time at the Royal Northern College of Music, playing Lord Lechery in Vaughan-Williams’ The Pilgrim’s Progress and Le Doyen in Massenet’s Cendrillon, as well as making a host of appearances in RNCM Opera Scenes (Falstaff, La Finta Giardiniera, l’Italiana in Algeri). He was the Narrator (Testo) in Monteverdi’s Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda at the Victoria Baths in 2020, and also sang the Tenor solos in Bach’s St.John Passion at the RNCM Concert Hall. He was graciously sponsored by the Lord and Lady of Lurgan Trust during his final year of study.

Andrew has worked with numerous reputable Opera Companies in the UK and Ireland, as both Chorus Member and Ensemble cast, including Wexford Festival Opera, Buxton International Festival, and most recently Irish National Opera, where he will be playing the Role of The Innkeeper in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, his Role debut with INO in March 2023. He has been a part of the company since May 2022, joining their inaugural Company Chorus. Andrew was part of the Young Artist Programme of Buxton Festival, and was the winner of the PwC Emerging Young Artist Bursary during his second year at Wexford Festival Opera.

Throughout the past years he has appeared on the stages of Usher Hall in Edinburgh, Royal Albert Hall and Festival Hall in London, Oslo Opera House and the Grieghallen in Norway, Bord Gais Theatre and The Gaiety Dublin amongst others. Andrew is a regular Guest Tenor with Edvard Grieg Vokalensemble, and is performing in a five-part concert series in collaboration with Conductor Edward Gardner. He is also consistently hired to bolster Chorus productions and has secured small roles with Bergen Nasjonale Opera, an opportunity he was given due to his successful period performing Peter Grimes with the RNCM as a student.

Jazz Awardee: Andrew McCoubrey, drummer
Andrew McCoubrey is a jazz drummer and improviser based in Derry. Since graduating from a Bachelor’s of Music at Queen’s University Belfast he has become a vital component of the Irish Jazz scene, playing regularly with musicians including Meilana Gillard, Scott Flannigan, and Dr. Linley Hamilton. In 2022 he has been sideman to many touring jazz musicians including Phil Robson, Rob Luft, Paul Booth. Building on a sold out gig as the Andrew McCoubrey Quartet at Scott’s Jazz Club in December 2023, and as part of his YMPA award he intends to establish himself as a bandleader in his own right.

Traditional Folk Awardee: Méabh Smyth, trad fiddle
Armagh native Méabh Smyth has been playing the fiddle from the age of 7 and is one of many talented young musicians to emerge from the Armagh Pipers Club in recent years. Growing up in a musical family, she was stepped in the fiery, rhythmic fiddle playing native to South Ulster and Donegal and has since developed her own unique style. A distinguished soloist, she was the inaugural Ed Reavy Fiddle Player of the Year as well as being crowned the 2021 Fiddler of London.

She was a featured soloist in the recent TG4/BBC Alba documentary series, Sruth, exploring the links between young Irish and Scottish musicians. She also plays regularly in a duo with her brother Tiarnán with whom she has released a self-titled EP. Having performed and taught at festivals all over Ireland and Europe including Celtic Connections, Baltimore Fiddle Fair and Belfast TradFest, and recently guesting with the group Búille, she continues to be an up-and-coming talent.

Contemporary Singer-Songwriter Awardee: Eve Belle Murtagh
Eve Belle is a singer-songwriter originally from Donegal, now based in Belfast. Her debut album 'In Between Moments' was released in October 2022, receiving 4 stars from the Irish Times. The Sunday Times described her as 'Ireland's freshest pop voice'. Since the release, Eve has found her way back to her lyrical roots, returning to a musical style which puts earnest emotion and honesty to the fore, with influences such as Julien Baker, Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers.

Across her career, Eve has performed all across Ireland and the UK, supporting artists including Hozier, Frightened Rabbit, Mick Flannery and Wyvern Lingo. Her cover of Coldplay's Violet Hill was shared on social media by the band themselves, with the interpretation receiving praise from Chris Martin. Newly independent, Eve is writing and recording new material at present and looking forward to exciting new releases in 2023.

Arts Council publishes Review of ‘A Year in the Arts’, 2021-22

Tuesday 10th January 2023 at 11am 0 Comments

With the last remaining Covid-19 legal restrictions coming to an end in March 2022, two years on from the start of the pandemic, we finally welcomed the cautious reopening of arts venues and the return of live in-person performances and activities. The journey to that moment is a story of remarkable resilience and creativity, as the sector rose to the challenges and continued to inspire and entertain audiences with amazing works of art.

Major creative highlights of the year include:

• the Lyric Theatre’s production of ‘Sadie’, in association with Field Day Theatre Company, broadcast as part of the BBC’s Culture in Quarantine Season
• the reopening of the Grand Opera House following completion of its £12.2m restoration
• the NIO’s centenary programme exhibition at the Golden Thread Gallery
• the theatre and dance from NI showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
• Array Collective becoming the first artists in Northern Ireland to win the Turner Prize
• BBC’s Culture in Quarantine celebrating new works by D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled artists from Northern Ireland
• Conor Mitchell’s symphonic audio visual work, ‘MASS’, co-produced by The Belfast Ensemble, Outburst Arts and the Ulster Orchestra
• NI Opera’s multi-award winning film production, ‘Old Friends and Other Days’
• Belfast awarded the coveted UNESCO City of Music
• the Arts Council brings the sector together at The MAC to launch ‘Bright Lights in a Dark Year’ and to pay tribute to the outstanding work of so many during the pandemic
• Sole Purpose Productions’ Festival of Theatre for Social Change.

The Arts Council supported the broadest range of arts throughout the year with its special COVID Recovery programmes funded by the Department for Communities, which enabled the sector to begin rebuilding and welcoming the safe return of practitioners and audiences.

The Annual Review 2021-22 provides a vivid account of the year in the arts and its many highlights, reminding us all of the breadth of contribution that a rich, creative environment makes to the quality of everyone’s lives in Northern Ireland.

View the Annual Review on the following link http://artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/ACNI-Annual-Review-2021-22.pdf

Review of the Year 2022

Friday 6th January 2023 at 4pm 0 Comments

January
In January, musicians gathered for a very special evening of music to highlight the plight of refugees and musicians at risk in Afghanistan. Hosted by Beyond Skin and The Duncairn, the event featured a host of music including Afghan musician, Yusuf Mahmoud and his son Ariz, Amita Ravikiran, Robin Korevaar, Daragh Lynch (Lankum) and Iona Zajac.

Read more here: http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/beyond-skin-and-the-duncairn-host-concert-for-musicians-at-risk-in-afghanis

February
The six winners of the BBC NI and Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Young Musicians’ Platform Award took to the stage of Belfast’s iconic Ulster Hall in February to take part in a BBC Invitation Concert. Broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster’s Classical Connections with John Toal, the young musicians performed alongside the Ulster Orchestra and conductor David Brophy. The awards are presented every two years and showcase and support the development of exceptional young musicians from the region by providing individual funding awards of up to £5,000. The current recipients are opera singer, Andrew Irwin, cellist, Angus McCall and pianist, Justine Gormley; traditional music awardees, Jack Warnock and Rose Connolly and, contemporary singer-songwriter awardee, Roisin Donald (ROE).

Read more here: http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/young-musicians-land-leading-role-in-bbc-ulster-orchestra-concert

March
In March, Spark Opera joined up with Women’s Aid ABCLN, an organisation addressing domestic abuse and providing services for women and children across Antrim, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey, to deliver a project that used the arts to help older women who have experienced domestic abuse. Dance, craft, visual arts and writing activities encouraged healing and connection with one another. The project was funded through the Arts Council’s Arts and Older People’s Programme.

Read more here: http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/womens-aid-and-spark-opera-join-forces

April
In April, the recipients of the Creative Industries Seed Fund were announced. A collaboration between the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, with National Lottery funding, and Future Screens NI, the funding programme aims to assist arts organisations, entrepreneurs, and creative businesses to undertake projects that contribute to the growth of the creative industries and unlock future income generation. Niamh Houston/Chipzel, Bad Girl Barre/Jill Rose Jacobs, Accidental Theatre and Belfast Photo Festival all received awards.

Read more here: http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/arts-council-announces-recipients-of-100000-digital-arts-programme

May
In May, inspired by The Royal Family’s long standing love of ballet, a group of young dancers, based at St Malachy’s Church Hall in Belfast, made final preparations for their performance of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, in honor of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The company provides year-round pre-professional classical training and performance opportunities to dancers, aged 9-18, from all different backgrounds, who aspire to a career in ballet. The stunning production, supported by National Lottery funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Small Grants Programme, was performed at Theatre at the Mill to a packed out audience in June.

Read more here: http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/young-ballet-dancers-aim-to-hit-the-high-point-for-queens-jubilee

June
A group of pupils from Ashfield Girls’ High School took to the stage of the Stormont Hotel in June to showcase their musical talents at the annual Eastside awards. The performance at the awards, was the latest phase of a special project the pupils have been working on under the guidance of professional actress, Christina Nelson, musician Emer Maguire and author Sheena Wilkinson. The school was one of eleven to receive funding through the Creative Schools Partnership in September 2021. Supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Urban Villages Initiative and the Education Authority, the programme is designed to encourage schools to embrace the benefits of the arts by injecting more creativity into the classroom and improving educational outcomes for students.

Read more: http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/ashfield-girls-shine-under-spotlight-at-the-eastside-awards

July
In July, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland announced that 95 arts organisations would receive support through the Annual Funding Programme, with the majority remaining on standstill funding for 2022-23. The awards, worth £13,012,490 support the core and programming costs of organisations who are central to the arts infrastructure in Northern Ireland today.

Read more: https://artscouncil-ni.org/news/acni-announces-annual-funding-programme-awards-22-23

August
Young podcasters from Greater Shantallow Community Arts visited BBC Radio Ulster in August to chat about their mental health podcast, Spill the Tae. Created by young people in Derry-Londonderry, along with Greater Shantallow Community Arts’ Studio 2, the podcast was established with the aim of promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. Local media star, Marie-Louise Muir, met young podcasters and spoke to them for her Radio Foyle show, The Culture Café. Within the podcast series, the young people have explored various topics including, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, muscular dystrophy and talked to young people from the city who are living with these conditions and how these affect their mental health.

Read more here: http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/Young-podcasters-from-Greater-Shantallow-Community-Arts-visit-BBC-Radio-Uls

September
The third NI Writers Day took place in September at the Lyric Theatre. Co-hosted by The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the event shone a spotlight on the art of writing for stage and screen, providing a platform for discussion, sharing industry insights and celebrating the work of local writers. Featuring esteemed playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster Bonnie Greer, the event unfolded in two sessions – the first an intimate lunchtime writing workshop with Bonnie for 12 playwrights, followed by a panel discussion led by Bonnie, in conversation with NI writers Fionnuala Kennedy, Stacy Gregg and Paul McVeigh. The audience was also treated to an exclusive preview of a specially recorded interview with screenwriter Declan Lawn, with Belfast Telegraph Features Editor Aine Toner.

Read more here: http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/news/acni-and-rsl-announce-third-ni-writers-day

October
Opera singer, Giselle Allen, composer, Greg Caffrey, poet and performer, Alice McCullough, dance maker, Eileen McClory and visual artist, Jennifer Trouton, were each been presented with Major Individual Awards (MIAs), worth £15,000 each, in October. Supported by Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery funding, these awards are the highest value honour bestowed on artists in Northern Ireland each year. The prestigious awards are given in recognition of the contribution each of the artists has made to creative life in Northern Ireland, and makes it possible for them to undertake a substantial, ambitious project that will make a significant impact on the development of their artistic careers.

Read more here: http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/leading-ni-artists-honoured-with-major-awards-by-arts-council

November
In November, The John Hewitt Society announced the publication by Blackstaff Press, Belfast, of a new edition of John Hewitt’s Selected Poems, edited by the acclaimed poets, Michael Longley and Frank Ormsby. An event was held at the Harrison Boutique Hotel in Belfast to mark the occasion. Born in North Belfast, John Hewitt was perhaps the most significant Belfast poet to emerge before the 1960s generation of Northern Irish poets that included Seamus Heaney, Derek Mahon and Michael Longley. His influence on the Arts in Northern Ireland at the time was significant.

Read more here: http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/warm-welcome-for-new-edition-of-john-hewitt-selected-poems

December
Funding of £209,000 was announced in December to support 29 arts organisations to deliver community-based arts projects benefitting older people. The funding is part of the Arts and Older People Programme, a pioneering initiative supported by National Lottery, Public Health Agency and Baring Foundation, which aims to tackle loneliness as-well as promote positive mental health and well-being among older people through engagement with the arts. Awardees included Commedia of Errors, who were awarded £8,100 through the programme. Thanks to the award they will visit 19 care homes across Belfast and in rural parts of Northern Ireland to deliver a series of dementia-friendly music and theatre performances with two professional actors and musicians.

Read more here: http://artscouncil-ni.org/news/older-people-to-benefit-from-209000-national-lottery-funding

Arts Council awards £85,000 to fund community projects

Wednesday 4th January 2023 at 11am 0 Comments

Supported through National Lottery funds, the Small Grants Programme is designed to encourage organisations in Northern Ireland to get more people to engage with the arts through creative, community-based projects. Grants are awarded by the Arts Council on a monthly basis and organisations can apply for up to £10,000 to support projects in any art form, including music, drama, dance, literature, visual, and participatory arts.

One of the groups to have been awarded funding in December is The Sperrin Choir. The cross-community choir is based in Mid-Ulster and meet weekly. It has been awarded a grant of £2,000 from the Arts Council’s Small Grants Programme to help rebuild its membership and audiences, following the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to the choir’s usual annual Spring and Christmas concerts at The Burnavon, they hope to perform a series of additional concerts at other venues in late Spring 2023.

Niall Cosgrove, Chairman of the Sperrin Choir, welcomed news of the award, saying:

“In the years to 2020, the Sperrin Choir had built a strong group and large audience base. Covid caused great disruption due to lack of rehearsals and concert income. We are trying to rebuild both group and audience numbers so this generous Arts Council Grant will be of great help in facilitating recruitment, rehearsal and performance.”

Commenting on the funding programme, Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:

“Thanks to National Lottery players and money raised for good causes, we are delighted to announce today funding to support seventeen fantastic projects, creating more opportunities for people to engage with the arts, from grassroots level projects through to professional productions. This valuable funding programme will support a variety of high quality arts projects in locations across Northern Ireland, including performances, workshops and tuition.”

In November and December Small Grants Awards were awarded to seventeen organisations including:

Fermanagh Choral Society, awarded £2,375
Fermanagh Choral Society plan to perform John Rutter’s Requiem in April 2023 accompanied by the Sinfonia Orchestra, along with a professional Soprano Soloist in St Michael's Church in Enniskillen. Funding will help support weekly rehearsals, purchasing of scores and venue costs. The concert will be an opportunity for all members to improve their singing and musicianship skills, as well as improving confidence in their public performance.

Fusion Theatre, awarded £3,320
This funding will help support a production of Evita, featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice at the Island Hall, Lagan Valley Island, in March 2023. It is anticipated that this project will involve a cast of approximately 60 young people from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds who have varying degrees of skill in singing, dancing and acting. The cast will work alongside a professional Director, Musical Director and Choreographer throughout the rehearsal process and during production week, they will also work with a professional sound technician, lighting technician and live nine- piece band.

YMCA North Down, awarded £6,855
The YMCA Ethnic Minorities Support Project provides ongoing support to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the South-Eastern Trust. In addition to hands-on, practical support they aim to tackle social isolation by providing women’s/men’s/youth groups, as well as one to one mentoring sessions. Participants come from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This funding will support an arts project, to help break down social and language barriers. It will explore the ideas of displacement, new home and new beginnings, the importance of persevering one's culture, language and identity and the value of that. It will also provide an opportunity to for participants to experiment and explore new art forms while gaining new skills and new friendships.

Intergenerational Music Making, awarded £5,400
This funding will support an intergenerational music project which will engage five care homes and five schools in Northern Ireland, providing the introductions between participants, the training, tools and resources to support the exchanges, and the musicians and music therapists to lead a series of group projects. Workshops will take place over a six month period, after which the projects will come together to perform a large community concert celebrating the artists, members and their musical creations.

Golden Apple Players, awarded £7,800
Golden Apple Players (GAP) will deliver a 5-month high quality performing arts programme in Omagh from December 2022, focusing on inspiring LGBTQ+ communities in rural Omagh through the Arts. It is expected that 80 individuals aged 17years+ will participate in a series of weekly sessions, concluding with a production of Rent – The Musical in 2023. A theme that will run through the programme will be "expression". Participants will be encouraged to express their feelings, thoughts and emotions relevant to their own experiences of discrimination, and LGBTQ+ issues.

Bloody Sunday Trust, awarded £5,824
This funding will support the early stages of the facilitation and consultation process for the possible creation of a public artwork and gathering space in Rossville Street, Derry, around the location of the Bloody Sunday Memorial. The artwork would be a permanent legacy of the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in 2022. It is intended that the artwork will be part of an integrated development plan, which will also enhance the current surroundings of the Memorial, and provide a much more conducive and safe space for larger gatherings and for individual visitors.

Funding from the Small Grants Programme is awarded to organisations by the Arts Council on a monthly basis. Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding.

Jo Egan - Playwright, Director, theatre-maker

Tuesday 3rd January 2023 at 5pm 0 Comments

Jo, who died on Christmas Eve in a traffic accident in Co. Wicklow, aged 62, was born in London and lived in Dublin from the age of 12, before moving to Belfast in 1996, where she became a highly influential figure in the Northern Ireland arts scene.

She brought her passionate interest in cultural politics and her experience of working as a playwright and director in the community theatre sector in Dublin to Belfast, where she worked with communities impacted by the Troubles, creating theatre, facilitating drama and creative writing workshops, and establishing arts-based training programmes for community, health and education workers. She wrote for professional as well as community theatre companies and was Creative Producer for Kabosh Productions from 2005-2008, where she produced work that questioned ‘what theatre is and where it takes place’.

In 1999 Jo Egan created and developed the concept for ‘The Wedding Community Play’, written by Marie Jones and Martin Lynch. The project was groundbreaking and marked a milestone in the development of community arts practice in Belfast. The story of a cross-community marriage, the play brought together groups from a flashpoint interface area in east Belfast in a very direct way, performed as it was by members of Catholic and Protestant community theatre groups and played out in their actual homes in the Short Strand area of the city.

In a later interview for ‘In Our Time – Creative Arts Within Reach’ for Northern Visions, she reflected on the impact of ‘The Wedding Community Play’:

“We didn’t really know what we were doing, but what we did know was that in the past people had been asked to come together in cross community projects and ‘love’ each other and everything would be forgotten and they were going to have this deep respect for each other and we didn’t ask anybody to do that, what we said was ‘we just want you to work together’.”

In 2015, alongside fellow theatre activist Fionnuala Kennedy, she founded MACHA Productions, to ‘democratise cultural expression’ and use theatre to give a voice to marginalized communities and individuals. In 2018, as Artistic Director of MACHA Productions, she brought to the stages of the Playhouse Theatre in Derry-Londonderry and the Brian Friel Theatre in Belfast one of her most highly acclaimed works, ‘The Crack in Everything’, written during her time as artist-in-residence at the Playhouse. An edited version of this powerful and moving play, based on the real-life testimonies of close friends and relatives of six children who died in the Troubles, was presented to MPs at Westminster in June 2022.

Colleagues from across the arts sector in Northern Ireland have paid tribute to Jo Egan.

Theatre and Dance NI said: “We are so deeply sad and shocked that our dear friend and valued colleague Jo Egan has died tragically. Jo was one of our best and most talented theatre makers and practitioners. Her talent and contribution immeasurable and most certainly unfinished.”

The Playhouse called her “A brilliant playwright, producer and director … a tireless campaigner and champion of community voices. Her gift for storytelling and her boundless compassion and kindness changed so many lives.”

The Lyric Theatre said they were “devastated to learn of the tragic loss of playwright Jo Egan”, and The Mac said “Jo and her talent for creating amazing theatre, mentoring and addressing social issues will be so missed.”

At the funeral service, which took place last Friday in Dublin, Jo Egan’s daughter, Kitty, read an extract from ‘Madame Geneva’, her typically insightful 2017 play about the beginnings of the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland, for which Kitty had been offered the lead role. She went on to speak of her mother as “a creative genius, a warrior of the heart and kind without any limit. A champion of the underdog, social justice and a massive advocate for women’s rights”, going on the say that the body of work she created, “gave a voice to so many whose voice had been taken or silenced”, and showed people “how to live and celebrate their creativity”.

Jo Egan’s death came just weeks after she read the first draft of her new script for a project at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.

She is survived by her sisters Patsy and Maggie, brothers Charlie and Julian, and daughters Sinead, Rachel, Kitty and Antonia.

Belfast Writer to Represent Northern Ireland at Greatest Literary Show on Earth

Tuesday 3rd January 2023 at 11am 0 Comments

With support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Elaine will attend the world famous festival of books and ideas when it takes place in the Rajasthan capital this January (19th-23rd January 2023). The festival has a global following, annually hosting the world’s most prominent writers, thinkers, politicians and creatives. This year’s line- up will include over 250 debates, readings, concerts and events.

Past speakers have included Nobel Laureates J.M. Coetzee, Orhan Pamuk and Muhammad Yunus, and Man Booker Prize winners Anna Burns, Ben Okri, Margaret Atwood and Paul Beatty. An annual event that goes beyond literature, the Festival has also hosted aerospace scientist and the 11th President of India, the late A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, television icon Oprah Winfrey and the first elected president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai.

Originally from Belfast, Elaine is a public engagement specialist and writer living in Swansea, South Wales. She is currently Head of Special Projects at Swansea University, which include the Rhys Davies National Short Story Competition, as well as Executive Officer of the Dylan Thomas Prize.

Looking forward to the event, Elaine said:

“I am delighted to be taking The Sandstone City to the pink city of Jaipur in January. I have been to the Jaipur Literature Festival twice before, in 2019 and 2020, and on both of those occasions I interviewed a number of writers and represented the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize. This is the first time, however, that I will be there as a writer in my own right and I am hugely excited to be launching my debut novel there. The Jaipur Literature Festival really is a very magical place, where you get to share ideas and have conversations within a very democratic environment.”

Elaine’s trip is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Damian Smyth, Head of Literature and Drama at the Arts Council, commented:

“The Jaipur Literary Festival is one of the biggest literature festivals in the world and it is fantastic to see it happening once again live and in person in 2023.

“In 2019 we were lucky enough to help host JLF Belfast and bring a local edition of the festival to audiences here. This is an event quite unlike any other and it is so important to see Northern Ireland writers represented on occasions like this, on stage, alongside their distinguished contemporaries. While there, Elaine will be there talking about her new book but also engaging with writers and thinkers from all around the world.”

About The Sandstone City:
Eighty-eight-year-old Michael Doherty lies in an open coffin, listening to those who have come to pay their respects. Despite his dead son Cormac’s protests, he’s not yet ready to pass over. His granddaughter is the reason. Twenty-something Sarah has inexplicably abandoned her plans to settle in Spain and returned home deeply scarred by the Sandstone City, and he needs to know why.

He is granted a special grace period of forty days. Forty days to discover and heal his granddaughter’s trauma. Forty days to face his own past. Forty days to find peace before he must make his final departure.

But Michael and Sarah are not alone. Ghosts populate the streets of Salamanca and they have a message for Sarah.

Set between modern-day Belfast and the Spanish Civil War, The Sandstone City is a story about the decisions we make, the choices denied us, and how we navigate what’s left.

The Sandstone City (Aderyn Press) is out now.

For more information on the Jaipur Literature Festival go to: www.jaipurliteraturefestival.org

Arts Council commissions 21 new works thanks to £200,000 of National Lottery funding

Friday 23rd December 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

The funding is part of the Arts Council’s Commissioning Programme, a scheme which aims to offer arts organisations, across all artforms, the opportunity to create new works of high artistic quality by providing vital funding. These new works will either be presented, exhibited, performed, broadcast, recorded and /or disseminated to audiences in Northern Ireland and internationally (where applicable), either live or online.

Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland said,

“Today’s announcement is welcome news and I congratulate all of the organisations set to benefit from this funding. Thanks to The National Lottery players, this programme will support the creation of twenty-one exciting new works that otherwise may have been unattainable. The Arts Council’s Commissioning Programme reflects the Arts Council’s commitment to supporting our arts organisations in creating world-class, high-quality, innovative works and I look forward to experiencing these thrilling works as they develop.”

Among those offered Commissioning Programme funding are:

DANCE

Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre
Funding amount offered: £9,500
Project title: My Grandfather’s House
My Grandfather’s House will be an immersive, site-specific physical theatre performance exploring the clash of British and Irish identities through one man’s story of how he struggled to find belonging in his mind and belonging in his home. Transported back to a contentious fractured period in Northern Ireland’s history, audiences will experience the personal and social compromises that existed then and continue to impact now.

Maiden Voyage
Funding amount offered: £18, 050
Project title: New dance and new music commission
Maiden Voyage will commission a new dance and new music work from Steve Davis, Sarah Golding, four dancers and two musicians that will place rhythm, percussion through instruments and bodies at the fore of this new work which will be toured across Northern Ireland.

MUSIC

Dumbworld
Funding amount offered: £18,000
Project title: TOGETHERNESS
Dumbworld will commission composer Brian Irvine & writer/director John McIlduff to work with local conflict resolution academics, community, and sporting groups to create the musical score and narrative for a new performance piece entitled, TOGETHERNESS. TOGETHERNESS will explore the extent to which conflict is hardwired into the ways humans respond to disagreement & challenges. Part contemporary opera, part radical performance, TOGETHERNESS will be performed during in 2023/24 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Belfast Ensemble
Funding amount offered: £11,000
Project title: Conor Mitchell’s new opera for children
The Belfast Ensemble will commission the multi-award winning composer/librettist Conor Mitchell to write a new opera for young audiences. Ambitious in scale, the work for chamber orchestra and singers circles the themes of dystopia and sustainability, and will be delivered and presented in live form in 2023 in partnership with the Belfast Children’s Festival and The Belfast Ensemble.

THEATRE

EastSide Arts
Funding amount offered: £6,110
Project title: Three Pay Cheques away
Eastside Arts will commission playwright Alice Malseed to work in collaboration with the EastSide Partnership’s Scaffolding Project to write a new 70-minute play exploring the stories and lives of those living with or experiencing poverty in east Belfast. Alice will conduct research and interviews with people working in poverty services and the clients who access these services in order to create solid research which will inform her writing. The purpose is to use theatre and drama to raise awareness, provoke audiences and inspire empathy within our community, and to present the play in EastSide Arts Festival in 2023.

Prime Cut Productions
Funding amount offered: £9,176
Project title: Donor by Clare Elizabeth Smyth
Prime Cut will commission Ciara Elizabeth Smyth to write a new work, Donor, exploring involuntary fertilisation and featuring an all-female cast. There have been many instances of male fertility doctors abusing patients, even impregnating some. Many of these have been unearthed by the increasing commonness of DNA testing. Donor will explore the experience of two half-siblings who find each other online prompting one of them to commit an act of violence. A full touring production is expected in 2024-25.

VISUAL ARTS

Belfast Photo Festival
Funding amount offered: £12,940
Project title: 'Principled and Revolutionary: Northern Ireland's Peace Women' - A Major New Photographic Commission by Hannah Starkey
‘Principled & Revolutionary’ is an arts and public engagement project exploring the role of women in peace-building in Northern Ireland and beyond. Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, it consists of a major new artwork commission and exhibition at the Ulster Museum by renowned Northern Irish photographer Hannah Starkey. The exhibition will be accompanied by a public engagement programme of talks, events, workshops and symposia as part of Belfast Photo Festival 2023.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
Funding amount offered: £12,814
Project title: Crossing the Park
Crossing the Park is an artwork taking place over the period of 12 months whereby artist, Michael Hanna, will attempt to change allegiance from Everton Football Club to their local rivals Liverpool Football Club in a series of steps based on a commissioned psychology paper by Professor Rhiannon Turner who specialises in group behaviour. Michael will work closely with the FE McWilliam Gallery and Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, as well as community groups, writers, and other artists to deliver this touring exhibition and publication.

COMMUNITY ARTS

Beat Carnival
Funding amount offered: £10,000
Project title: THE BEAT – rhythm roots branching out
Beat Carnival will commission artist-musician Katie Richardson to research, develop and produce a large-scale, soundscape score, ‘THE BEAT’. The work will draw from Beat Carnival’s Afro-Brazilian street & community rhythm expertise and branch out into contemporary electronica. The soundscape will be realised by Beat Carnival’s percussionists, BEATnDRUM, BEATnBRASS band, string players, electronica musicians, singers and other instrumental collaborators. The project will be performed with 75 musicians plus visuals and dance at a BEAT carnival 30th anniversary outdoor spectacle.

Arts Ekta
Funding amount offered: £8,698
Project title: The Orchestral Qawwali Project
This project aims to create a new Sufi-Celtic music collaboration between artists from The Orchestral Qawwali Project, international Irish composer and musician Neil Martin, Sadler's Wells 2022 Young Associate Vidya Patel and local orchestral musicians. The Orchestral Qawwali Project, voiced by Abi Sampa, produced by Rushil Ranjan and lifted by the rhythms of Amrit Dhuffer’s table, will perform a unique brand of qawwali music, juxtaposing modern orchestral harmonies with ancient melodies. The collaboration will bring UK-wide artists together to perform a concert at St Anne’s Cathedral as part of the Belfast Mela 2023, one of Belfast’s signature festivals.

To view a list of all those offered funding under the Commissioning Programme visit http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/ACNI-Commissioning-Programme-Awardees-Dec22.pdf

Quotidian, Big Telly Theatre, Armstrong Storytelling & Void to share in £40,000 Lottery funding

Tuesday 20th December 2022 at 6pm 0 Comments

The funding is part of the Arts Council’s Organisations Digital Evolution Awards, a programme which aims to support those making of digital art for the first time or are working with digital or immersive technology which they have not used previously. Among those offered up to £10,000 each of National Lottery funding are; Quotidian, Big Telly Theatre Company, Armstrong Storytelling Trust and Derry-Londonderry’s Void Gallery.

Karly Greene, Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships, at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“Today’s announcement is welcome news and I congratulate all of the organisations involved. Thanks to The National Lottery, this programme will support the creation of art using digital and immersive technologies, and will help organisations to develop skills in the use of new technologies. The Organisations Digital Evolution form Awards reflects the Arts Council’s commitment to encouraging innovative practices that cross art form boundaries and build digital capabilities within the Northern Ireland arts sector and I look forward to experiencing these exciting projects as they develop.”

Among those offered funding through the Organisations Digital Evolution Awards are:

Quotidian
Funding amount offered: £10,000
Project title: Pop Up Poet - Augmented Reality/ Volumetric Capture - Poetry Readings
Quotidian put literature into public spaces with the aim of making literature more accessible for everyone. With this project they propose to experiment with volugrams (volumetric holograms) of a poet to create an immersive poetry experience which is innovative, replicable, shareable and affordable.

As part of this project Quotidian will commission a new poem by Arts Council of Northern Ireland Major Individual Awardee Moyra Donaldson and launch the project in a pop-up poetry lab in a public space as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival in the autumn of 2023.

Big Telly Theatre Company
Funding amount offered: £10,000
Project title: Rear Windows
Rear Windows is an ambitious fusion of digital theatre, immersive storytelling and game design, involving a live experience, an engagement programme and a permanent digital legacy. The project will take place in Big Telly’s virtual venue, Brick Moon.

Both the creation process and the experience will be participatory, with remote audiences invited to wander through a series of virtual spaces, meeting characters, encountering unexplored stories hinted at in the film and influencing the action and outcomes. In addition to a piece of immersive, multi-site digital theatre set in Brick Moon, permanent recorded sections of the performance and an interactive feature will also be embedded within Brick Moon.

Armstrong Storytelling Trust
Funding amount offered: £9,521
Project title: Immersive/ Online Story-Animation Collaboration
Armstrong Storytelling Trust will support and develop the recent digital work undertaken by two artists – Vicky McFarland (storyteller) and Corrina Askin (illustrator/ animator) – by commissioning a new cross-discipline piece of digital story art for young audiences.

The project will create an animated story show which mixes live storytelling with projected animated character(s) and an open narrative structure to allow audience discussion, thinking and learning outcomes.

Using the professional skills and experience of these two artists, this show will target Early Years and/or KS1 audiences with a focus on emotional literacy and wellbeing outcomes.

VOID Arts Centre
Funding amount offered: £9,223
Project title: Locky Morris & Jaki Irvine Exhibition
Void has invited Jaki Irvine and Locky Morris to work in collaboration to create newly commissioned and produced work for an exhibition at Void Gallery in 2023. The site specific works in the gallery will explore the relationship between digital space and real space. The works will be a collaboration between the artists and they will create works using CGI and 3D digital models. For this exhibition Locky Morris and Jaki Irvine will explore the digital realm and its absorption into our everyday lives.

The Organisations Digital Evolution Awards scheme is now closed with all available funding allocated. For details on all Arts Council funding opportunities visit www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding

Gordon Woods (1938-2022)

Tuesday 20th December 2022 at 5pm 0 Comments

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has learned with sadness of the death of the Belfast artist and former member of the board of the Arts Council, Gordon Woods, who died earlier this week.

Gordon’s first solo exhibition was at the Queen’s Gallery in Belfast in 1959. He would go on to exhibit nationally and internationally, including organising and participating in the Free International University’s programme at Documenta 6 in Kassel, Germany, with Joseph Beuys; one-person shows at the Arts Council, Orchard and Project galleries in the late 1970s/early 80s; the ‘Ulster Art in the 80s’ group exhibition at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin in 1988, which featured many of the leading local contemporary artists of the time; through to, very recently, the 2021 Evanston + Vicinity Biennial group exhibition in the USA. His work is represented in public and private collections, including those of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Ulster Museum.

Gordon Woods is remembered by the Arts Council both for his significant contribution and as an important artist in his own right in the recent history of the visual arts in Northern Ireland.

Michele Strong

Tuesday 20th December 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has learned with regret of the death after a short illness of Michele Strong, Sub-Principal Bass Player with the Ulster Orchestra for more than 37 years. Michele joined the Ulster Orchestra in 1985 and was heavily involved with the orchestra’s education activities, as well as making a significant contribution teaching the bass in schools, at the City of Belfast School of Music and the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra. Several of her former pupils now work as professional bass players.

Auveen Sands, Chief Executive of the Ulster Orchestra, led the tributes, saying that “Michele will be sorely missed, not only as a valued member of the Orchestra, but also in her outstanding work for Crescendo and her commitment to numerous committees within the Ulster Orchestra, as well as to her local community and the Green Party. Above all, we will miss Michele because she was such a lovely person whose contribution was never-ending. Our hearts go out to Michele’s partner Kevin, her family and her friends at this devastating time.”

The Ulster Orchestra has cancelled its concerts this week as a mark of respect.

Two-day RENDR festival explores nexus between creativity and tech

Monday 19th December 2022 at 11am 0 Comments

Produced by the team behind the city’s annual photography festival, RENDR, formerly known as Capture Conference, will take place from 23-24 February 2023 at Portview Trade Centre in the heart of East Belfast as part of the NI Science Festival.

Billed as a ‘unique nocturnal experience’, RENDR will present 30 speakers across two evenings alongside live and interactive demonstrations of new technology, digital art, gaming experiences and a food village offering the very best of Northern Ireland’s local food and drink producers, all set in a Blade Runner inspired environment.

The festival has been curated for anyone with an interest in popular culture and learning more about how genre-defining film, gaming, animation and immersive experiences are brought to life. Through a series of talks, workshops and showcases, RENDR will also create a platform for creatives and students to build networks and explore new opportunities in the industry.

Among the speakers travelling to Belfast for the festival is production stills photographer David James. The long-time collaborator of Hollywood royalty Steven Speilberg will share insight into the award-winning images he has produced for such movies as Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan and Mission Impossible.

Mike Reiss, the longest-serving writer and producer of The Simpsons, will also travel to Belfast as part of the festival. Reiss, who co-wrote The Simpsons Movie, will discuss his illustrious career as part of the team behind the long-running animated sitcom, offering an insider’s perspective into the creative process that has seen the show rise to the status of cultural phenomenon.

Also Belfast-bound is Dorothy Di Stefano, creator/founder of Molten Immersive Art. One of the world’s foremost voices in immersive and interactive art curation, she leads a collective of international experiential artists and researchers working at the cutting edge of new technology and art.

Championing Northern Ireland’s own creative industries, RENDR, which is supported by NI Screen, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council, will also recognise the influence and impact of local creatives.

Alongside international voices, Belfast-based production stills photographer Helen Sloan will discuss her work behind the scenes of HBO’s blockbuster series Game of Thrones, and BAFTA-nominated director Kris Kelly of Enter Yes™ will showcase the work of the visual effects and animation studio, which specialises in high-end visuals for film, television and games.

Festival director Michael Weir says:

“RENDR is an opportunity to network, to demo new and emerging tech, to be inspired and to gain insight into the latest trends and developments in the creative industries – all with an emphasis on new technologies. We hope the event informs, engages and challenges the creative community to push the boundaries of technology in their fields.”

Commenting on the value of the creative industries, Weir adds:

“We’re programming speakers and thought leaders from around the world, but also using this moment to recognise what this place has to offer in terms of its award-winning expertise and innovations. The creative industries are important economic drivers for Northern Ireland and with the support of our funders at NI Screen, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council we hope to both amplify their contribution to building a vibrant arts and culture sector locally and create a platform to showcase what homegrown talent can offer on the global stage.”

“As part of Northern Ireland Screen’s new four-year strategy ‘Stories, Skills and Sustainability’ we remain committed to supporting opportunities for our industry colleagues to share their stories and enhance their skills to ensure a sustainable future. RENDR’s packed and varied programme presents the local screen industry with the opportunity to showcase their talent alongside international industry, to hear from and learn from local, national, and international leading professionals and gain valuable insight into new and emerging tech and trends.”

Matthew Malcolm, Arts Development Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added:

”RENDR is a unique and exciting festival that will lead, inspire and connect creative industry professionals and all those interested in learning more about new, emerging technologies and their use in creating art. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is thrilled to support RENDR which reflects our commitment to encouraging innovative practices that cross artform boundaries and build digital capabilities within the Northern Ireland arts sector.”

Belfast City Council Chair of City Growth and Regeneration Committee, Councillor Ryan Murphy, said:

“We are delighted to be supporting RENDR Festival this year and pleased to see such a wide range of creative and digital technology leaders and entrepreneurs taking part. The creative digital industry is a strong part of our city’s economy and we have ambitions to become world class in digital innovation, with investment from the Belfast Region City Deal. In order to do this, we need to facilitate engagement, collaboration and knowledge sharing between creative businesses, education and our public sector and RENDR Festival will play a key role in that.”

Further speakers are set to be announced in the coming weeks. For the full list of speakers revealed to date and to book tickets, visit RENDRfestival.com and stay up to date with the latest developments and speakers announcements on the festival’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Older people to benefit from £209,000 National Lottery funding for 29 creative projects

Thursday 15th December 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

The Arts and Older People Programme was established by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in 2010 and is now a cross-governmental partnership with funding from the Public Health Agency and The Baring Foundation. The programme has been designed to challenge perceptions of what it means to be an older person. To date the programme has provided over £2m funding to community organisations and voluntary groups across Northern Ireland in the delivery of over 250 arts projects to older people.

Lorraine Calderwood, Community Arts Development Officer at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, explained how the Arts and Older People’s Programme is making a difference to the lives of older people across the region:

"Thanks to The National Lottery, we’re delighted today to announce that a further 29 arts organisations will be supported to deliver projects with funding of £209,000. Research has proven that taking part in arts activities can raise self-esteem, confidence and motivation, as well as aid in relieving stress. The Arts and Older People Programme is committed to providing meaningful opportunities for our older people to take part in arts activities, enriching their lives for the better. As we emerge from the extra challenges faced by older people as a result of the pandemic, participating in the arts is now more important than ever before. The arts have a vital role to play in helping older people find their voice thus promoting positive physical and mental health.”

Among the successful applicants offered Arts and Older People Programme funding are:

Commedia of Errors (Belfast) - amount awarded: £8,100
Commedia of Errors will travel to 19 care homes across Belfast an in rural parts of Northern Ireland to deliver a series of dementia-friendly music and theatre performances with two professional actors and musicians. The have worked with a dementia specialist in the development of their project and performances will use stories from the past to bring laughter to the residents in the care homes.

Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum (Derry-Londonderry) – amount awarded: £8,000
Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum will deliver a range of arts programmes specifically targeting older men in the Derry-Londonderry area. They plan to use ‘men’s sheds’ that has been set up in the area and they are partnering with Gasyard Centre, Pilot’s Row, DEEDS, peninsula pottery and other community/statutory organisations to identify those diagnosed with dementia, and their carers, to encourage them to get involved. The project aims to work with 100 participants over the age of fifty in various art forms including pottery, textiles and visual art. The project will culminate in hosting an exhibition.

Beth Johnson Foundation (North Down and Ards) – amount awarded: £7,788
The Beth Johnson Foundation will deliver a project which aims to engage people with dementia in intergenerational arts workshops with primary school children based in Donaghadee, Enniskillen, Magherafelt and Newtownards. The project will also offer dementia-friendly training for the young people and will culminate in a series of celebratory sessions with all participants.

Stickyfingers Arts (Newry, Mourne and Down) – amount awarded: £7,840
Stickfingers in Newry will bring together 20 older people, who are living independently and experiencing isolation and loneliness, to enjoy weekly arts and craft workshops and create artwork. The workshops will include a range of arts activities including ceramics, fabrics, felting, drawing and painting and at the end of the project the artworks will be curated by a professional artist and exhibited. Stickyfingers has partnered with The Crisis Café, a social enterprise which supports young people, to offer intergenerational connections between the users of The Crisis Café and the participants of the Stickyfingers project.

Portadown Wellness Centre (Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon) – amount awarded: £8,400
The project will work with up to 56 older participants to deliver two weekly arts workshops over ten weeks in crafts, pottery, ceramics, sewing & woodwork. The project will primarily involve older people who live on their own and those who are most isolated or who have asked Portadown Wellness Centre about joining a group. Artworks created during the project will be displayed in Portadown Wellness Centre.

To view a full list of organisations offered Arts and Older People Programme funding visit www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding

First apprentice joins Arts Council Board

Friday 9th December 2022 at 12pm 0 Comments

As well as attending the Council’s regular board meetings, Tanya will have the opportunity to take part in a suite of learning days as part of the Board Room Apprentice Programme.

The scheme, which is open to those aged 16 or over from all backgrounds and all abilities, is a unique board learning and development programme which aims to diversify boardrooms in the third and public sector.

Tanya comes from a creative background. She worked as freelance graphic designer for 14 years, before taking up new employed post last year. Speaking about the Board Room Apprentice Programme, she said, “I like to be around interesting people and am drawn to those who I can be a help to. I know the strength art can be and how it can bring people together and so working with the Art Council is ideal. I am looking forward to growing in my understand of how a board works so that in time I can bring a strength to community led projects and give something back to society.”

The Arts Council welcomed Tanya English to her first board meeting in September. It has commended the programme as an opportunity to bring new voices onto the board and diversify its membership.

Arts Council Chair Liam Hannaway commented, “Serving as a board member is a hugely rewarding experience, an opportunity to make a real difference for an organisation or in an area which you feel passionate about. The Boardroom Apprentice programme is a fantastic route into the boardroom, combining practical training with real world experience serving on a board. The Arts Council is delighted to be involved in this year’s programme.”

Tanya is one of 54 candidates appointed to host boards this year. Other organisations taking part include, Libraries NI, Community Fund, The Playhouse and Verbal Arts Centre.

Founded in 2017, the programme is now in its sixth year. With support from the Department of Finance, the Boardroom Apprentice provides apprentices with the opportunity to expand their skill set through training workshops on topics such as finance, governance and communication.

For more information, go to: boardroomapprentice.com

Mid Ulster schools visited by Children’s Writing Fellow Paul Howard

Thursday 8th December 2022 at 12pm 0 Comments

The celebrated children’s author delivered an illustration and story workshop that aimed to promote visual literacy as an alternative, fun and accessible gateway into literature and help children, of all literacy levels, feel confident enough to engage with reading and use drawing as a springboard to create their own stories.

Paul was appointed to the post of Children’s Writing Fellow in January 2021 as part of Queen’s University and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's (ACNI) joint ten-year Seamus Heaney Legacy programme, with support from Atlantic Philanthropies. He is the third writer to take up the post and during his tenure will be visiting schools and educational settings across Northern Ireland.

In partnership with the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queens and Paul Howard, Mid Ulster District Council, through its Community Art Plan, offered local education providers the opportunity to take part in the author’s innovative and creative workshop. Students were given the opportunity to use a structure and approach that supports language and literacy development. Each participating child also received their own copy of ‘The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark’.

Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Córa Corry dropped into one of the workshops to see the results first-hand, and said, “I was delighted to see how well the pupils all engaged in the project and how easily Paul held their attention. They were very proud of themselves when they saw what they had been able to draw and they all loved receiving a signed copy of the book. I was particularly pleased that the workshop was held within a school setting. It’s not always possible for schools to access our venues, so to be able to bring the arts directly to children allows the Council’s arts programme to in-crease its diversity and inclusion across the district.”

One of the class teachers involved commented “The boys and girls …really en-joyed their visit from Paul Howard and couldn't wait to tell me all about it the following day!... [They] all said it was "really good", that Paul was "very funny" and also "so kind and generous …Everyone enjoyed the "art about owls" and getting the chance to draw their very own owl which we hope to display in our classroom very soon!”

Paul Howard said “It’s been a privilege working within Mid-Ulster’s SEN schools and Learning Support Units …The young people have produced some incredible work through learning how to illustrate fiction covers. Their often surprising results have given me everything from three-eyed owls to busy beehives, all delivered with warm smiles, laughter and hugs. My reward was sharing in the delight that several pupils who, unknown to me, normally struggle to hold a pencil, managed to draw the most amazing owls as if they draw them every day.”

Arts Council announces £40,000 for innovative Digital Arts projects supported by National Lottery

Tuesday 6th December 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

The funding is part of the Arts Council’s Individual Artists Digital Evolution Awards, a programme supported by The National Lottery, which offered artists across all art forms the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £10,000 each.

The Individual Artists Digital Evolution Awards aims to support those artists who are making digital art for the first time, or are working with digital or immersive technology in a novel or innovative way.

Each artist will now go on to develop a digital work:

Csilla Toldy
Funding award offered: £7,812
Project title: Ec(h)o
Csilla Toldy, based in Rostrevor, will develop a project entitled Ec(h)o, an immersive art piece of four digital film poems screened in a loop that together create a visual haiku featuring soundscape, animation and a multisensory element presented in a black box. The project will offer the artist the opportunity to learn about animation, sound design and back screening aswell as new technologies including drones and 360-degree shots and screening.

Michael McEvoy
Funding award offered: £10,000
Project title: A Kiss for a Kiss
Michael McEvoy, based in Saintfield, will develop a project entitled, A Kiss for a Kiss, a contemporary dance-based project that delves into the world of digital creation, animation and virtual reality. The project will be narrative driven featuring a duet between a dancer in the real world and an avatar in animation. What is unique to the project is the capture of movement and qualities through motion capture suits. The artist will use transfer this data into a digital format using augmented reality technology and then filming the process, allowing the artist to present a short film showcasing the way in which dance and technology can collaborate.

Michael Speers
Funding award offered: £10,000
Project title: Ground Drum
Michael Speers, based in Newtownardswill develop Ground Drum, a project which sees the artist designing a digital musical instrument, based on the earliest known form of drum, of the same name. The project will create an instrument that sensitively integrates with and learns from a natural environment. The project will enable the artist to develop their practice as a musician, composer and researcher of sonic arts, by working under the mentorship of Prof. Paul Stapleton at the QUB Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC), in Belfast.

Peter O’Doherty
Funding award offered: £4,589
Project title: Cartographies of resistance VI: a deeply mapped 3D space
Peter O’Doherty, based in Derry-Londonderry, will create a project entitled Cartographies of resistance VI: a deeply mapped 3D space. The project will explore connections between sound, music and space and will research new spatial musical ideas that expand the traditional boundaries of composition, to include the spatial experience. The deep (audio) map will make use of data from a range of sources, which will be sonified to form the basis of 3D audio artwork. The project will culminate in a final 3D audio composition/performance, which will be performed on a spatial array in Derry-Londonderry at the end of the project.

Reuben Brown
Funding award offered: £7,599
Project title: Interactive, Ephemeral, (Hyper)Real Installation
Rueben Brown, based in Banbridge, will develop a project entitled, Interactive, Ephemeral, (Hyper) Real Installation, an ambitious large-scale interactive installation combining sculpture, with 3D-CG (computer-generated) animation, ephemeral architecture, lighting and sound engineering, robotics and virtual reality game design.

Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“Today’s announcement of the Individual Artists Digital Evolution Awards is welcome news and we are delighted support these five artists through this programme, thanks to The National Lottery players. The programme will support these artists in the creation of art using digital and immersive technologies, and will also help them develop skills in new technologies. This programme reflects the Arts Council’s commitment to encouraging innovative practices that cross artform boundaries and build digital capabilities within the Northern Ireland arts sector and I look forward to experiencing these exciting, ambitious projects as they develop.”

For details on all funding opportunities visit www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding

Hugh O’Donnell, Artist

Tuesday 29th November 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

Hugh O’Donnell graduated in 2002 from the University of Ulster with a degree in Fine and Applied Art, followed in 2006 with a Masters degree in Fine Art. A full-time performance-based artist, he was actively involved in the Belfast arts scene, including several years serving on the committee of Bbeyond and, from 2013-19, as Creative Outreach Officer at the University of Atypical. He was lead curator of the 2013 ‘Duo Days’ International Performance Art Festival in Belfast and the University of Atypical’s performance artist in residence during the first Covid lockdown of 2020.

Originally based in Platform Arts Studios, Hugh moved his practice to Flax Art Studios in Belfast, where he remained a long-standing studio holder, making a valuable contribution there for many years. Hugh, who identified as disabled, had an exhibition and curatorial track record of more than fifteen years. He performed nationally and internationally in key gallery spaces, including Tate Modern, with exhibitions in Austria, Poland, Germany, France and USA. Recent performances included the Belfast International Festival of Performance Art in 2020, LAB Gallery Dublin in 2020, and Bbeyond’s 20th anniversary celebrations in 2022.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland was pleased to have been able to support Hugh on a number of occasions, including a funding award through our Support for Individual Artist Programme earlier this month.

Our thoughts are with Hugh’s family and his sister Sinead at this sad time.

Funding announced for 11 schools to place creativity at the heart of learning

Monday 28th November 2022 at 1pm 0 Comments

The pioneering cross-government programme targets schools located within Urban Village areas and encourages them to think outside of traditional learning approaches, by bringing professional artists into classrooms to build student confidence, make community connections and teach new skills.

Last year schools were invited to apply for up to £15,000 each to develop a bespoke project for their students, and today’s announcement will guarantee funding to support the programme throughout this academic year.

The schools allocated funding are: Lisneal College, Belfast Boys’ Model School, St Joseph’s Boy’s School, Blessed Trinity College, Ashfield Girls’ High School, St Cecilia’s College, Mercy College Belfast, St Vincent’s Centre, Belfast Model School for Girls, Malone Integrated College, and St Colm’s High School.

The 11 schools now have the opportunity to shape their own projects and have outlined their plans to work with artists on a range of creative skills including music production, journalism, photography, film-making, animation and scriptwriting.

Initially launched as a pilot scheme by the three partners in 2017, so far 1,000 pupils have benefitted from the programme, which places a focus on improving educational outcomes for children across all subjects by opening up new learning experiences which allow students’ individual talents to shine.

The Arts Council is investing £100,000 from its National Lottery funds to support the scheme. Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented: “The Creative Schools Programme is a landmark arts and education project. It brings professional artists into the classroom to deliver practical and creative lessons that broaden learning opportunities for our young people, opening up creative career pathways.

“We are now entering the second year of this current phase of the programme and it has been wonderful to hear lots of feedback from senior teachers, and the pupils themselves, about the many benefits which participating in the Creative Schools Partnership has brought into their classrooms. Thanks to funding for Good Causes from the National Lottery, we are delighted to be working with the Education Authority and the Urban Villages Initiative again this year to offer even more pupils the opportunity to take part in this very special programme.”

Chairperson of The Education Authority Barry Mulholland, said: “The Education Authority is delighted that these 11 schools have been given the opportunity to continue to engage with the Creative Schools programme for another year, and reap the many benefits it offers to support their educational attainment and their mental health and well-being.

“The Creative Arts play a pivotal role within education, enabling the young person to experience a sense of freedom, self-expression and enjoyment, all of which help to contribute to good mental health. The Creative Schools programme has been recognised as a highly effective collaborative approach which harnesses the power of creativity to support learning and well-being. We look forward to seeing its continued positive impact in the lives of the young people who participate this year.”

CASESTUDY

Mercy College
Students at Mercy College in North Belfast will work with artist Karen Kinghan to produce a narrative and documentary film reflecting on the school’s 60 year. The film will also reflect on the impact of COVID, on their school and their wider community, adding valuable insight and experience and developing good relations. The project will allow 22 students to develop film making skills, including their own scripts, music and visuals. The project will work across key curriculum subjects including Drama, Art, History and English and focus on building student resilience, confidence and self-esteem.

Warm Welcome for New Edition of “John Hewitt Selected Poems”

Friday 25th November 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

Born in North Belfast, John Hewitt was perhaps the most significant Belfast poet to emerge before the 1960s generation of Northern Irish poets that included Seamus Heaney, Derek Mahon and Michael Longley. His influence on the Arts in Northern Ireland at the time was significant.

In the words of Edna Longley: “His cross-sectarian ideal of Regionalism energised writers, painters and general cultural activity during the post-war period. It recovered ancestral voices and provided some of the basis for a second take-off in the 1960s”.

On Thursday 24 November the editors of this new edition of Hewitt’s Selected Poems, which is now on sale, will read at a special event to mark the publication and the naming of a room named after John Hewitt in the Harrison Boutique Hotel Belfast, a building once associated with the renowned Belfast poet.

Tony Kennedy, Chair of The John Hewitt Society, said:

“Many of those who attend the annual John Hewitt International Summer School in Armagh or Look North - The North Belfast Festival have asked where they can read and appreciate Hewitt’s poetry. Blackstaff Press are to be commended for responding to these requests by producing the new edition of John Hewitt’s Selected Poems.

“In Frank Ormsby’s words, John Hewitt’s “best poems embody the constants and variables of the human condition”. Michael Longley describes him as a poet who “held out the creative hand rather than the clenched fist [and] made himself heard in a land of bellowers without raising his voice”. These attributes are as necessary today as they have ever been and a new generation will now have the chance to read the poetry for themselves.”

Damian Smyth, Head of Literature and Drama at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:

“This book of Selected Poems of John Hewitt introduced a whole new generation to the work of this important poet when it was first published back in 2007, the centenary of the poet’s birth.

“It is excellent to welcome this reissue of the book in 2022, again guided by two distinguished poets in Michael Longley and Frank Ormsby, as the enduring power of Hewitt’s distinctive idiom is proved again, 35 years after the author’s death.

“How fitting it is that the John Hewitt Society is promoting this event and how wonderful that The Harrison Chambers is dedicating a room to the poet and to Roberta Black (1904-1975), his social activist spouse, in their boutique hotel on 45 Malone Road, on the site where they spent the first months of their married life. Congratulations everyone.”

Arts Council announces £84,000 National Lottery funding to support 12 exceptional artists

Sunday 20th November 2022 at 1pm 0 Comments

Awards under the Artists Career Enhancement Scheme (ACES) are made annually to artists working in music, visual arts, drama, dance, literature and participatory arts, and are among the most prestigious awards offered by the Arts Council. This year’s awardees include three visual artists, four musicians, two drama awardees, two writers and one dancer.

In addition to receiving a bursary of up to £7,000 each to develop new work, many of the 12 artists will partner with a professional organisation or leading artist, at home or abroad. Some of these partners include; Golden Thread Gallery, Echo Echo Dance, Dumbworld and AEMI (Artists Experimental Moving Image).

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented:

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to award £84,000 to 12 exceptional artists from Northern Ireland, thanks to support from The National Lottery. These artists are already established and highly regarded in each of their fields and the ACES awards are given in recognition of their work to date. The award also provides them with the financial support to take their careers to that vital next level. The ACES programme has been running successfully for a number of years now and addresses the need for on-going skills development and training within the arts sector here. A warm congratulations to all 12 ACES awardees. We’re truly excited to see their ACES projects develop in the year ahead.”

The 12 artists awarded ACES funding 2022-23 includes:

Visual Arts
Alessia Cargnelli
Anushiya Sundaralingam
Dorothy Hunter

Music
Darren Beckett
James Thompson
Peter O'Doherty
Xenia Pestova Bennett

Drama
Dominic Montague
Gavin Peden

Literature
Jamie Guiney
Peter Jordan

Dance
Mrs Suzannah McCreight

The Artists Career Enhancement Scheme (ACES) forms part of the wider Support for the Individual Artist Programme (SIAP) which is administered by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland annually with funding from The National Lottery. As part of its continuing commitment to supporting the development of individual artists, the Arts Council made 262 SIAP awards to individual artists in 2022/23 totalling £985K. Visit www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding for information on all funding opportunities.

262 artists receive National Lottery funding to support their work

Thursday 17th November 2022 at 1pm 0 Comments

Artists awarded grants through the SIAP programme will receive General Arts Awards worth up to £6,000. This funding will be used to help artists purchase new equipment and develop of new projects, as well as travel grants and residencies.

General Arts Awards are one element of the Arts Council’s Support for Individual Artists Programme (SIAP). Its aim is to support artists living and working across Northern Ireland to create work and develop their practice. Broadly, awards can be for specific projects, specialised research or personal artistic development.

In addition to the General Arts Awards announced today, 10 individual artists and 4 organisations have also been awarded funding through the Artists International Development Fund (AIDF), to the value of almost £64,000. This annual fund, which also forms part of the wider SIAP Programme, is jointly funded by the British Council and Arts Council of Northern Ireland and is open to individual artists and organisations. The awards made will support early stage international development opportunities for individual, freelance and self-employed artists and organisations based in Northern Ireland.

The 16th Outburst Queer Arts Festival bringing queer magic to Belfast, supported by National Lottery

Wednesday 16th November 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

Highlights this year include an artist residency from internationally acclaimed duo Split Britches by Lois Weaver and Peggy Shaw, who are this year’s Elders in Residence. Split Britches is an iconic performance art duo based in New York City, and they are sharing their most recent work, Last Gasp, at The MAC on closing night. They are also meeting with artists and activists throughout the week to make all-generation queer space for conversation.

Don’t miss ‘He’s Perfect’ from Belfast’s Conor Cupples on Friday 18 November at The Brian Friel Theatre. Supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s SIAP development funding, the show explores alt-right radicalisation through a queer lens, and is a comedic yet cautionary parable exploring masculinity, body obsession, and belonging in an increasingly alt-world.

Don’t forget to pick up the latest edition of Catflap, Outburst Arts’ recently launched publication which is a vital platform to celebrate and showcase queer writing. Catflap is a beautifully illustrated publication filled with poetry and creative non-fiction, all edited by poet, Mícheál McCann.

Ruth McCarthy, CEO/Artistic Director of Outburst Arts, commented,

“Through the annual Outburst Queer Arts Festival, we have supported the development of cutting edge queer arts in the city to an acclaimed international level, always ensuring that local LGBTQ+ artists, audiences and communities are at the heart of our ambition to make Belfast a leading hub for queer arts, globally.”

Ruth continued, “The incredible artists in this year’s programme all challenge us in their own ways to reflect and reimagine, remember and regroup. From the beautiful sparky energy of emerging voices to the timeless wisdom of creative elders, we hope that Outburst 2022 offers space to lift your hearts and minds in treacherous times: through shared laughter, righteous rage and remembering the power of our collective queer magic.”

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to be Outburst’s long-term core funder, thanks to The National Lottery players. This year’s Outburst Festival reminds us once again just what an empowering force the arts can be, as artists transform their experiences into music and story and dance, and we are all invited in. The programme is exactly what you would want from an Outburst festival - strong, confident, bold and challenging – a true reflection of the best of Queer art in Northern Ireland and beyond. Having grown into one of the major showcase events for queer arts on these islands, Outburst has become a champion and an inspiration not just for the arts in Northern Ireland, but for the Queer arts community as a whole.”

The Outburst Queer Arts Festival continues until 19 November 2022. To view the full programme and book tickets visit www.outburstarts.com

Arts Council highlights cost of living crisis for NI arts sector

Wednesday 9th November 2022 at 2pm 0 Comments

The data, collected from across the Arts Council’s portfolio of annually funded organisations, reveals that arts organisations could be facing a 147% increase in the costs of lighting and heating their venues and premises. While there is uncertainty surrounding how energy costs will impact on households and businesses in Northern Ireland, Art Collectives and Studio Groups look particularly vulnerable, with one organisation already spending as much as 35% of their entire budget on heating and lighting.

In addition to rising energy bills, arts organisations will have to cope with increased costs from suppliers and artists as they attempt to offset their own costs, and many smaller organisations will be vulnerable to rent increases. Factoring in other inflationary increases, including rent, salaries, programming costs, materials and insurance, the Arts Council’s estimate of the additional costs to the arts sector of £12 million could be conservative.

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council, said:

“We fully appreciate that the rising costs of living affect everyone and that the arts are no exception. But we do find ourselves in a uniquely disadvantaged position in Northern Ireland, as investment in the arts has historically been much lower here than across the rest of these islands. The sector hadn’t fully recovered its earning power to pre-pandemic levels, with box office proving particularly slow to recover, as a result of continuing limited consumer confidence. Although the Arts Council will continue to do everything in our power to mitigate the pain, including being as flexible as possible in our funding support, our artists and arts organisations are really in no condition to absorb further rising costs”.

Ms McDonough also reflected on the impact of additional pressures on people working in the arts:

“Many arts and cultural workers live a fairly hand-to-mouth existence as it is, and this continuous pressure of worrying about how to make ends meet has serious implications for people’s mental health, and indeed for the wider arts sector, as talented and highly-skilled people are forced to leave in search of work elsewhere.

We lost one third of our workforce during the pandemic, and this impacts on important outreach and education services and means fewer people having the opportunity to access and participate in the arts. Many artists and arts organisations will be feeling they are approaching a precipice. If we as a society value our arts and culture, then we need the full support of government at this difficult time.”

Government investment in the arts in Northern Ireland has fallen from £14.1 million in 2011-12 to £10.2 million in 2021-22. When inflation is taken into account, this represents a 40% cut in funding for arts organisations. Where Northern Ireland spends £5.32 per capita on its arts, Wales, for example, invests £10.18 and the Republic of Ireland £26.09. Prior to rising energy costs, the Arts Council had calculated that it would require an additional £16.6 million to fulfil its core functions supporting the arts sector.

The Arts Council presented its evidence on Tuesday 4th October 2022, alongside the Arts Collaboration Network*, to the All Party Group on the Arts at Stormont, and to the Arts Council’s sponsor body, the Department for Communities.

The Arts Council continues to raise awareness and work with the Department for Communities on the impacts of costs of living hikes for the sector, in order to support any future resource made available to the NI executive for additional funding.

* The informal group, known as the Arts Collaboration Network comprising a range of organisations from across the sector, has gathered evidence detailing how the current cost of living crisis and recession are harming arts organisations and artists alike. Their findings capture the negative impact of both reduced income and increased expenses and how organisations and individual artists are facing financial uncertainty and hardship as a result. Members of the group presented their findings to the All-Party Group on Arts at a meeting in Stormont on 4th October 2022. The impact paper has been shared with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Minister and officers in the Department of Communities and others.

To read the impact paper authored by the Arts Collaboration Network, click here.

To visit the All Party Group interim site, go to: https://theatreanddanceni.org/all-party-group-apg/

Craft makers encouraged to apply for £15,000 Rosy James Memorial Trust Award

Thursday 3rd November 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

Administered by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Rosy James Memorial Trust Award, established in 2014, was established thanks to the generosity of Rosemary James (Rosy), a local patron of the arts. Originally from Belfast, Rosy had a lifelong commitment to the arts and following her death in 2010, bequeathed over £500,000 to help artists and craft makers pursue their careers.

Previous recipients of the prestigious award include glass artist, Scott Benefield (2015), silversmiths, Stuart Cairns (2014) and Cara Murphy (2016) and in 2017 two awards were made to ceramicist, Anne Butler and furniture designer, Brian McKee. In 2018, the award was made to stone sculptor, Sheena Devitt.

Dr Suzanne Lyle, Head of Visual Arts, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented:

“The Rosy James Memorial Trust Award demonstrates the power of philanthropic giving to create lasting impact. Rosy James leaves an incredible legacy. Her passion for craft led her to leave the bequest that will allow new work of really high quality, and of international interest, to be produced by local artists. It will give our artists the chance to devote time to their practice over the course of a year and to develop their ideas. We look forward to receiving the next round of applications.”

Applications are now open and will close at 4pm, Friday 20th January 2023. Prior to submission of your application, you may seek advice on any aspect of the form from the Arts Council Visual Arts team. Dr Suzanne Lyle is the Head of Visual Arts and a Rosemary James Trust member and can be contacted at slyle@artscouncil-ni.org

You must apply by email. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland will not accept applications in hard copy. Please send your completed application form and all the requested mandatory enclosures to rstephenson@artscouncil-ni.org

If you feel you have a disability which affects your ability to complete the application form, please contact the University of Atypical (UoA). The UoA will provide tailored advice and support to D/deaf, disabled and Neurodiverse applicants when submitting applications to ACNI Programmes. Visit www.universityofatypical.com

For information on eligibility and to apply visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/rosemary-james-memorial-trust-award

Leading NI artists honoured with Major Awards by Arts Council of Northern Ireland

Wednesday 26th October 2022 at 2pm 0 Comments

The prestigious awards are given in recognition of the contribution each of the artists has made to creative life in Northern Ireland, and makes it possible for them to undertake a substantial, ambitious project that will make a significant impact on the development of their artistic careers.

Each of the artists will now use the award to develop a series of new works:

Award-winning visual artist, Jennifer Trouton, has exhibited nationally and internationally in London, New York, Cuba, China and Paris, and she will use her MIA award to create work that explores art and activism. As a feminist response to the scale historically associated with male dominated political art, Jennifer will create her largest painting to date, a 10ft x 5ft diptych that will be displayed as part of an exhibition at the Ulster Museum. To create the works, the artist will deploy a range of innovative methods including designing bespoke wallpaper and fabric utilising symbolic imagery; subverting the traditionally female craft of embroidery in order to convey social and political issues. The new artworks will also feature in a forthcoming publication edited by Dr Mark Benson.

Poet and performer, Alice McCullough, will use her MIA award to develop opportunities in the USA to showcase and tour her work that focuses on disability rights activism and the poet’s perspectives on mental health and disability. Alice will collaborate with other disabled artists and leaders in the field of disability rights activism, including, among others, Andy Imparato and Senator Tom Harkin at The Harkin Institute. As well as continuing to bring her 'Earth to Alice' stage show and TV/film project to stage and screen, Alice will also be working with 1 in 5 Media to document her work and showcase the work of disabled artists.

Soprano, Giselle Allen, has represented Northern Ireland on the international opera stage, and will use her MIA award to take time out to study the challenging operatic roles of Kostelnička, Sieglinde and Brünnhilde. As part of this study, Giselle plans to work with mentors and renowned vocal coaches in Italy and London, including; voice teacher Sherman Lowe, an expert in Italian vocal techniques; Lada Valešová, a conductor at Guildhall, Royal Academy of Music and Royal Opera House; Rahel Wagner a German mezzo-soprano and language specialist, and also Dame Anne Evans, the Olivier award-winning British Wagnerian.

Composer, Greg Caffrey, has won major prizes for his work internationally, and will use his MIA award to make high-quality studio recordings of three of his works. The composer will also use the award to take the time out needed to create a second song cycle on local poetic texts, augmenting his two existing cycles. These cycles will form part of a larger body of vocal work, which includes the existing cycles on poems by Ciaran Carson and Seamus Heaney.

Dance maker, Eileen McClory, will use her MIA award to research an experimental, ambitious, new dance work that will explore topical and social dilemmas, and which will develop the artist’s distinctive choreographic voice. The work will also incorporate interactive technology with the aim of exploring active audience engagement and participation. The dance maker will collaborate with dancer, Ryan O’Neill, video artist, Conor McIvor, a computer technologist and dramaturg Hanna Slättne, to develop the new work that she hopes will premiere at the 2023 Belfast International Festival.

Liam Hannaway, Chair of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:

“Congratulations to Giselle Allen, Greg Caffrey, Eileen McClory, Alice McCullough and Jennifer Trouton, five immensely talented artists who have already made a significant contribution to the arts in Northern Ireland. Each will benefit greatly from being able to take time out to concentrate purely on these innovative new projects with the financial backing they need to produce work of lasting value. This award, made possible thanks to The National Lottery players, will help to cement their national and international reputations as artists, and strengthen the positive cultural profile of Northern Ireland, both home and abroad.”

The five join a distinguished list of artists who have previously benefited from the Major Individual Artist award, including writers; Susan McKay, Moyra Donaldson, Carol Moore, Rosemary Jenkinson, Malachi O’Doherty, Jimmy McAleavey, Anne Devlin, Carlo Gébler, Damian Gorman, Patricia Craig, Sinéad Morrissey, Glenn Patterson and Owen McCafferty; playwright Shannon Sickles (Yee), performance artist, Sinéad O’Donnell, visual artists, Mairéad McClean, Rita Duffy, Susan MacWilliam and Cara Murphy; composers, Deirdre Gribben, Ed Bennett, Piers Hellawell, Ian Wilson, Elaine Agnew, Conor Mitchell, Neil Martin and Deirdre McKay; musicians, Michael McHale and David Lyttle plus choreographer, Oona Doherty, among others.

Major Individual Artist awards form part of the wider Support for the Individual Artist Programme (SIAP) which is supported with funding from The National Lottery and administered by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland annually. Visit www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding for information on all funding opportunities.

Arts Council announces £500,000 funding to support 73 rurally-based arts projects

Monday 24th October 2022 at 2pm 0 Comments

The Rural Engagement Arts Programme, worth £500,000, aims to provide an integrated, cohesive approach to the needs of rural communities as they emerge from the global Covid-19 pandemic. The overarching theme of the programme is to tackle isolation and loneliness, and promote social inclusion and wellbeing through participation in the arts.

The Rural Engagement Arts Programme is one of the Arts Council’s core National Lottery programme areas and to help develop and design the programme the Arts Council consulted with the Rural Deliberative Forum*and the 10 Local Authorities outside of Belfast.

Liam Hannaway, Chair, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to make this funding available to rural communities and we are grateful to the Rural Deliberative Forum for their input and advice when designing the programme.

We know that taking part in arts activities can raise self-esteem, boost confidence and motivation, as well as alleviate isolation and loneliness. The pandemic and the resulting lockdowns across the UK have taken a toll on individual lives, with mental health and well-being adversely effected as families and friends were separated for sustained periods of time, especially intergenerational. This has been particularly compounded in rural communities which are characterised by smaller and more dispersed populations.”

The Chair continued,

“Thanks to The National Lottery players, the Rural Engagement Arts Programme will increase opportunities for people living in rural communities to engage and participate in meaningful arts activities, enriching their lives for the better. The Arts Council believes that arts, and coming together as communities, can all make a vital contribution to building wellbeing, confidence and healthy, integrated communities.”

REAP funding has been offered to organisations located in Local Authority Areas across Northern Ireland, with particular focus in some of Northern Ireland’s most rural areas, for example Fermanagh and Omagh, Mid Ulster and Newry, Mourne and Down. Some of those rurally-based communities that have been offered REAP funding includes:

Fermanagh Choral Society - Fermanagh and Omagh
REAP amount offered: £10,000
Fermanagh Choral Society will use their REAP funding to deliver a music project that uses the power of opera and choral singing to enhance the wellbeing of younger and older people in rural Fermanagh. Fermanagh Choral Society will deliver the project in partnership with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, through their Culture and Wellbeing Service, and also Ulster Touring Opera (UTO). The project will include a workshop series for schools in Fermanagh, as well as a concert for both young and older audiences. The workshops will reflect opera as a fusion of art forms and participants will perform a three minute scene based on a section of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.

To target isolation and loneliness, this project will culminate with a concert at the Ardhowen Theatre in Enniskillen. South African baritone Njabulo Madlala and Northern Irish mezzo-soprano Sinéad O’Kelly will perform in the concert, accompanied by Keith McAlister which includes pieces by renowned composers such as Puccini, Verdi and Rossini, and by Northern Irish composers such as Hamilton Harty, Dorothy Park and Enniskillen-born Joan Trimble.

Big Telly Theatre Company - Causeway Coast and Glens
REAP amount offered: £9,908.20
Big Telly Theatre Company will use their funding to create The Dock - an interactive piece of hybrid street theatre, combining live action, a digital interface and smart technology. The Dock is a mobile structure which houses a screen, webcam and remote controlled coffee machine. Audiences interact with and influence characters and stories on screen, some of whom are present in the location and will meet the audience face-to-face, and some of whom will be in remote locations.

The Dock will be transported from location to location popping up in rural areas where it’s needed most and Big Telly will work closely with each rural community to develop and shape a model of connectivity that can best respond to the individual needs of each location. Big Telly will be working alongside their project partners, Aware and Inspire, to optimise the opportunity to address rural needs and start conversations to connect with isolated, vulnerable and underrepresented rurally-based groups.

Music Kin C.I.C – Derry and Strabane
REAP amount offered: £7,325
Music Kin C.I.C will deliver a series of multi-sensory, interactive reminiscence through song programmes. These programmes will be delivered in partnership with Templemoyle Nursing Home, Eglinton and Lettershandowney and District Development Group, reaching out to older people living rurally in Co.Derry, who may be experiencing isolation and loneliness as a result of rural living and the impacts of the pandemic. The programme will bring participants of all abilities together with professional musicians to tackle these issues through the power of group singing and the sharing of songs with personal memories.

Sessions will include, vocal warm-ups, breathing exercises, sing-along sessions with words, performances from musicians, use of visual stimuli such as pictures and videos of recording artists, all to evoke discussion and musical memory. The programme will also feature intergenerational sessions where family, friends and carers will be invited to join in. The programme will culminate in a unique multi-media performance to an audience of family, friends and carers.

Ards and North Down Borough Council - North Down and Ards
REAP amount offered: £10,000
Ards and North Down Borough Council will use their REAP funding towards a project entitled, Large Scale Puppetry Bringing Communities Together. The project will engage with the communities of Donaghadee, Portaferry, Comber, and Holywood through a series of intergenerational reminiscence, puppet sculpturing, puppeteering & movement workshops. Following discussions around the meaning of each place to community participants, large-scale puppets will be collectively created to visually represent the community’s memories, histories, and connection to place. Audio-recordings of the community’s spoken words, collected during reminiscence and puppet sculpturing workshops, will later be transcribed and crafted into a verbatim song by a professional songwriter, in creation of a character song for each puppet, inspired by and reflective of the characteristics of each place and the attached community’s ideas, experiences, memories and connections to it.

Subsequently, a puppeteer and choreographer will work with the community to develop a movement style and dance for their newly created puppet and its song. In the final week, the four participating communities, will come together at the Ards Puppet Festival to showcase their puppets, verbatim songs, and movement-based performance pieces.

BEAMA Education CIC - Antrim and Newtownabbey
REAP amount offered: £9,999
BEAMA is an organisation that offers opportunities for young people to get creative using the latest technologies. BEAMA will use their REAP funding to deliver a series of outreach workshops whereby participants will create a guided visualisation using multi-media arts to address the issues associated with loneliness & social isolation. 135 young people in Pomeroy, County Tyrone, will take part and will include young people who have a learning difficulty or learning disability. The workshops will be focused on using art to build connections, explore emotions and develop strategies to better manage mental health and wellbeing. The project will culminate with a launch party where local people will be invited to view the visualisation and celebrate the achievement of the group.

Loughshore Care Partnership (LCP) - Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon
REAP amount offered: £6,700
Culture and folk history are especially prevalent within rural areas, such as the southern shores of Lough Neagh, and Loughshore Care Partnerships’s REAP supported project will combine aspects of local folklore, willowing weaving, music and performance. The project aims to connect all members of the community whilst also preserving their local culture and heritage. The project will take place in five community halls where the local senior citizen groups meet weekly.

The project will encompass the rural stretch of South Lough Neagh, beginning with interactive storytelling workshops with a professional storyteller and traditional craft workshops using locally sourced willow to create some autumnal decorations. As the workshops evolve, storytelling will provide the pivotal focus for the creative engagement. At the end of the project there will be a celebratory event with an inter-generational workshop with local school children.

Poundbridge & District Community Association - Lisburn and Castlereagh
REAP amount offered: £9,900
Poundbridge & District Community Association will use their REAP funding towards their project, Making Music Together, a series of weekly music classes, for people aged 11 and older, in two rural locations. Instruments on offer will include the tin whistle, fifes, Bb flutes, and drums and classes will be delivered by professional tuturs in the Ballylesson Old Boys Hall and in Drumbo Orange Hall. The project will culminate in a celebratory concert.

Glenlough Community Choir - Mid and East Antrim
REAP amount offered: £9,999
Glenlough Community Choir will use their REAP funding toward their project entitled, Pick-Me-Up Community Chorus to build confidence and encourage isolated older members of their group to return to singing rehearsals following their departure during the pandemic. With support from REAP, Glenlough Community Choir will pilot four weekly, day-time 'Pick-Me-Up' regional choirs in Ballygalley, Broughshane and Carnlough, that are small in size and welcoming, to gently reintroduce participants back to society. They hope to work with 40 older people from a wide, rural geographical area.

Apex Music Centre - Mid Ulster
REAP amount offered: £4,852
Apex Music Centre will use their REAP funding towards their project, Developing an Engaged and Creative Community. The project is aimed at all ages and spans 12 months with 12 workshops that range across artforms to help members of the Mid-Ulster community develop the tools and practices to improve and manage their mental health and general wellbeing. Workshops will cover dance, dj’ing, samba youth, musical theatre, open stage, photography, Christmas crafts, creative writing, exercise and mindfulness in nature, still life drawing and street art. Apex Music Centre will also develop a ukulele choir and a Christmas showcase event.

Magnet Young Adult Centre - Newry, Mourne and Down
REAP amount offered: £9,000
Magnet Young Adult Centre will use their REAP funding towards The Bridge Project which aims to work alongside two groups of young people, aged 11-13 and 14-16, from rural areas in South Armagh and South Down, to address and overcome the barriers associated with social isolation and loneliness by participation in arts activities. This project will involve engaging with young people to enable them to express themselves creatively through combined arts culminating in a celebration event for the two groups to come together and showcase their projects to the wider community.

To view the full list of those offered funding visit http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/ACNI-REAP-Awards-October2022.pdf

Arts Council awards £115,000 to fund community projects

Wednesday 19th October 2022 at 11am 0 Comments

Supported through National Lottery funds, the Small Grants Programme is designed to encourage organisations in Northern Ireland to get more people to engage with the arts through creative, community-based projects. Grants are awarded by the Arts Council on a monthly basis and organisations can apply for up to £10,000 to support projects in any art form, including music, drama, dance, literature, visual, and participatory arts.

One of the organisations awarded funding is Ulster Touring Opera, which received £8,454 to support a new production of the Barber of Seville. Rehearsals for the Spring production will begin in January at the Marketplace Theatre in Armagh and Rosemary Street Church Hall in Belfast.

Dafydd Hall Williams, Artistic Director of Ulster Touring Opera, said:

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has once again provided invaluable support for Ulster Touring Opera. This Small Grant funding will enable the company to continue to tour international-quality opera to local venues across the north of the island of Ireland. Through presenting a fully staged new production of Rossini’s immortal comedy The Barber of Seville in Armagh, Letterkenny, Belfast and Cavan, this funding will make it possible for Northern Irish singers, stage managers and instrumentalists to share our collective passion for bringing opera home.”

Commenting on the funding programme, Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:

“Thanks to National Lottery players and money raised for good causes, we are delighted to announce today funding to support twenty fantastic projects, creating more opportunities for people to engage with the arts, from grassroots level projects through to professional productions. This valuable funding programme will support a variety of high quality arts projects in locations across Northern Ireland, including performances, workshops and tuition.”

In September and October Small Grants Awards were awarded to twenty organisations including:

Ulster Touring Opera, awarded £8,454
This project is a touring production of Rossini’s comic opera The Barber of Seville to four venues in spring 2023, featuring an international cast of artists. In January 2023, Ulster Touring Opera will begin two weeks of studio rehearsals in Rosemary Street Church Hall Belfast, followed by a week of production rehearsals in the Market Place Theatre, Armagh. The production will premiere in Armagh on Saturday 4th February 2023, before touring to the An Grianán in Letterkenny on Friday 10th February, the MAC in Belfast on Wednesday 15th February and the Ramor in Virginia, Cavan on Friday 17th February. The production will be sung in English and will be accompanied on piano by Ruth McGinley.

Murley Silver Band, Fivemiletown, awarded £2,475
This funding will help to cover the tuition costs of developing young talent to join Murley Silver band. The 'Bob Hall School of Music' provides tuition for beginner players to get them to the stage of playing music in the Concert Band, which is Murley's junior band. The Concert band is supported by a number of senior players who give of their time to help motivate the children by them being involved in a larger ensemble. The band hope to provide each new person with a music stand and mute.

Foyle Women’s Information Network, Derry & Strabane, awarded £4,501
This funding will help to support the group’s Book Club. The project will engage with women from local communities and organisations, as well as minority ethnic groups. The Book Club will be held in Holywell in Derry/Londonderry. Participants will read one book per month and attend monthly face-to-face meeting in Holywell. Initially books will be chosen by the facilitator to create an awareness of the main literary genres and sub genres. As the group develops the facilitator will seek to empower participants to agree on and select a book of their choice. Patricipants will also have the opportunity to meet some writers.

Association of Contemporary Silversmiths, Belfast, £5,683
This funding will support an exhibition; “Collectables and Curiosities” held in Craft NI Belfast for the Christmas period, 10th November- 30th December 2022. The exhibition is open to those working in the broad areas of Jewellery and Silversmithing. Makers will be invited to submit contextually challenging, well-made work of a high calibre to help promote and raise the profile of Contemporary Craft here in Northern Ireland. Emphasis is placed on showcasing serious contemporary works to new audiences and establishing new connections in the wider community. The goal of this exhibition is to ensure that the craft makers of Northern Ireland are given the incentive and opportunity to produce thoughtful and well developed work, which they can then use as a foundational stepping stone to new national and international opportunities.

Rathfriland and District Regeneration Company, awarded £10,000
As part of the Chandler House Arts Venue launch programme, this funding will support associated costs including stage light and sound equipment. This equipment will ensure the venue can provide a fit for purpose professional quality arts performance space,that will help to attract top-quality performers and also provide a top-quality audience experience. The launch programme will bring together performances featuring a wide range of music genres, film screenings for young people and adults, local artists alongside international artists, participatory inter-generational African drumming workshop, and drama performances.

Rostrevor Community Book Festival, awarded £3,590
The funding will support the Rostrevor Literary Festival - a celebration of the written word through poetry, novel writing, script writing and short story telling. It will take place over a weekend in October (28th–30th Oct). The programme will include a range of guest authors and speakers, plus open mic sessions.

Dunlewey Addition Services, Belfast, awarded £5,680
Dunlewey Addiction Services have been providing services for people who have been affected by substance misuse for over 35 years. The purpose of applying for this funding is to deliver a Creative Art programme for young people affected by substance misuse issues. Through drama, dance, poetry and physical theatre techniques they will explore diversity and acceptance of self and others. They will also explore physical, emotional, and social harm caused by substance misuse.

Funding from the Small Grants Programme is awarded to organisations by the Arts Council on a monthly basis. Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/small-grants-programme

Gifted musicians invited to apply to BBC NI and Arts Council’s Young Musicians’ Platform Award

Tuesday 18th October 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

These prestigious biennial awards, aim to showcase and support the development of six exceptional young musicians from Northern Ireland by providing funding awards, worth £5000 each, to three classical musicians, one jazz musician, one traditional musician and one contemporary singer-songwriter. This financial award enables recipients to develop their musical aspirations by spending a sizeable amount of time learning from a master musician, mentor, teacher or composer either in Northern Ireland or abroad.

In addition to this training opportunity, each recipient receives two professional broadcast engagements with BBC Northern Ireland, including one with the Ulster Orchestra. Performances at this level raise not only the professional profile of the young musician but also give a boost to their performance experience.

Highlighting BBC Radio Ulster and Foyle’s commitment to specialist music and developing new musical talent, four presenters from the station will mentor the young awardees, follow their progress on their programmes and help them prepare for performances with the Ulster Orchestra for live broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster. John Toal, a classical pianist and presenter of Classical Connections will mentor the three classical awardees; Folk Club presenter, Lynette Fay, will mentor the traditional awardee, Linley Hamilton jazz musician and presenter of Jazz World will mentor the jazz awardee and Stephen McCauley, presenter of The Stephen McCauley Show, will mentor the singer-songwriter awardee.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music, at the Arts Council, commented:

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is hugely proud to support the Young Musicians’ Platform Award thanks to The National Lottery players. We are committed to providing valuable, meaningful opportunities for our most exceptional young talent to develop and excel and the Young Musicians’ Platform Award offers a tremendous opportunity for outstanding young musicians to develop their musical skills, learn from the best in their genre and receive experience of playing with the Ulster Orchestra. All of the previous recipients have gone on to have successful, musical careers and I’ve every confidence that their experience received through this award acted as a powerful catalyst in shaping their professional development.”

Paul McClean, Executive Editor, Music, Arts and Events, BBC Northern Ireland, says,

“We truly believe that BBC Radio Ulster and Foyle is ‘Where Music Matters’ and we are dedicated to providing our listeners with the best in specialist music. Nurturing new talent is something we are extremely passionate about and we are delighted to be involved in finding new classical, alternative, jazz and traditional artists. Being able to have our listeners engage in these young musicians’ journey will be incredible to watch as they grow and develop with some help from John, Lynette, Stephen and Linley, all of whom are music evangelists.”

Those eligible to apply include:

• Individual classical, jazz, traditional and contemporary singer-songwriter musicians who reside in or originate from Northern Ireland;


• Artists who are at least 18 years old and up to an age limit of 26 for instrumental players, and 29 for singers;


• Classical, jazz and traditional musicians who have made a meaningful contribution to artistic activities in Northern Ireland;


• Applicants must have reached a high standard of public performance as indicated within the references and as demonstrated with a solo recording of two (2) contrasting works of no more than eight (8) minutes each

Previous recipients of the Young Musicians’ Platform Award include acclaimed classical pianist, Michael McHale, soprano, Laura Sheerin, harpist, Richard Allen, violinist, Michael Trainor, baritone, Brian McAlea, folk artists, Conor Mallon, Rose Connolly, Martha Guiney and Niall Hanna and jazz musicians, Ed Dunlop and Katherine Timoney plus singer-songwriter, ROE, among others.

Applications will be assessed by a specialist panel and shortlisted applicants will then be invited to audition between 8 and 9 December in Belfast, where they will be asked to perform two contrasting pieces in style and period, one of which will be contemporary.

Online applications for the Northern Ireland Young Musicians’ Platform Awards are open from Tuesday 18 October and will close at 12noon on Tuesday 15 November. For full eligibility and application details visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/young-musicians-platform

Northern Ireland’s newest live music venue opens its doors in Bangor City

Tuesday 18th October 2022 at 12pm 0 Comments

The first performances will be from up and coming Bangor band The Florentinas, who are championed by Gary Lightbody’s artist development company, Third Bar, alongside Lemonade Shoelace, another local band currently making waves who recently won a prestigious international music contest. Future acts scheduled to perform in the new venue include Dana Masters, Camille O’Sullivan, and Jesca Hoop, with many more to come.

Built in 1866 as a branch of the then Belfast Banking Company, the building became a magistrates court in 1952. When the court was decommissioned in 2013, it was listed as a Grade B2 building on the Heritage At Risk register. Remaining the property of the Department of Justice, it began to fall into disrepair.

In 2015, a local volunteer lobby group Bangor Shared Space (BSS) raised the possibility of acquiring the building via the Community Asset Transfer process for use as a community or creative venue, and invited Open House to join the campaign. The scale of such a transition soon became clear, and BSS ultimately decided to step aside and pass the baton to Open House, who had the capacity to pursue the acquisition and restoration of the building for use as an arts venue for social benefit.

Over the following years Open House worked with several government departments to develop a business plan that showed the potential for the building to become an accessible, multi-purpose arts venue and reflected the social and economic benefits it would bring to the local community. In 2017 they embarked on an initial crowdfunding campaign, hoping to secure £30k to do some urgent works while the major funding application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund was being prepared.

“The response from local people and businesses to our crowd funding campaign was phenomenal, confirming public appetite for a restoration project and validating our vision for the building,” said Open House Director, Kieran Gilmore. “Alongside a charity fund-raising ball organised by Barclays Bank, who also donated £15k match funding, that campaign raised over £70k, triggering an eventual £1.7m of funding from several sources.”

Key funders of the Court House project are The National Lottery Heritage Fund (£977,900) and the Department for Communities NI (£310,000). Contributions have also come from Garfield Weston Foundation, Arts Council NI, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Foyle Foundation, Swire Charitable Trust, Ulster Architectural Fund, Esme Mitchell Trust, and Ulster Garden Villages.

In December 2020, Open House took possession of the building via the first ever Community Asset Transfer in Northern Ireland, with the keys officially presented to Open House founders Kieran Gilmore and Alison Gordon by the Minister for Justice, Naomi Long. Following a tender process, a design team and building contractors were appointed, and the construction phase began in September 2021, finishing in August 2022.

This major extensive work included the removal of walls and some internal re-modelling as well as the restoration of original features such as sash windows and cornicing. A full sound, lighting and audio visual system was installed, as was a professional kitchen and bar. And the building was made fully accessible with the installation of a lift, accessible toilets and automatic door openings.

“The building work was a long stressful process,” explained Kieran, “but the team of specialist architects, and contractors did an exceptional job. There were some wonderful discoveries along the way, such as the original tiled floor that was uncovered in the banking hall come court room that will be our main performance area. And we were able to use two bars and a slate fireplace from the neighbouring Royal and Windsor Hotels, both of which are due for demolition and both of which have a place in the hearts of Bangor people.”

While predominantly a music venue, the new Court House will also host a regular classic film club, literary and spoken word events, comedy, theatre, and talks, as well as pop-up food and drink events. Rachael Campbell-Palmer who has recently joined the Open House team as Court House Director, fresh from running the Black Box in Belfast, said: “I know the fundamental impact an innovative and creative space like the Court House can have on a place, on individuals and communities. The possibilities that The Court House will bring are hugely exciting! This will be a welcoming home for a wide range of Arts programming providing entertainment, employment and vital opportunities for collaboration and creative development.”

Thanking everyone who has helped the organisation reach this momentous moment, Kieran said: “It has taken us seven long years and a great deal of trial and error to get to this stage. We’ve had support and help from so many individuals and organisations along the way – too numerous to mention. But we want to thank every single person who has played their part in making this project a reality, and in bringing the Court House to life. As the third largest city in Northern Ireland, Bangor needs and deserves a dedicated music and arts venue. We’re looking forward to developing an exciting year round programme of events, and working with other local businesses and creatives to draw new audiences into the city centre. We hope this is the start of a new era for Bangor, with arts-led regeneration right at the fore.”

The equivalent of 15 full-time jobs will be created once the venue is operating at full capacity, including bar staff, event managers and security.

Dr Paul Mullan, Director, Northern Ireland at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

Welcoming the official opening of the building, Justice Minister Naomi Long said:

“It is great to see the former courthouse being brought back into use through the Community Asset Transfer process. I am sure it will become an iconic arts venue that will make a significant contribution to the city of Bangor. Congratulations to everyone involved in the impressive redevelopment and I wish Open House Festival and all who use the facility every success for the future.”

Siobhán Molloy, Arts Development Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland commented:

“The launch of the Bangor Court House promises to be an uplifting and joyous experience for everyone. Serving as a permanent base for the Open House Festival team and events, this cultural hub will increase access to the arts, empower local communities, nurture home-grown talent, as well as showcase regional, national and international acts across a range of artistic genres. The official opening will be momentous, as the collective vision to create a fantastic new arts venue for the city becomes reality. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland placed significant investment into the restoration and redevelopment of the building, through a range of funding programmes and we would encourage everyone to avail of, and enjoy, this wonderful arts venue.”

Obituary: Conrad Atkinson (1940-2022)

Tuesday 18th October 2022 at 9am 0 Comments

Conrad Atkinson (1940-2022)
International artist and activist

“Perhaps art can’t really make a difference, but it can highlight alternative ways of seeing and living” - Conrad Atkinson*

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has learned with regret of the death last week of the artist, Conrad Atkinson, aged 82.

Conrad Atkinson was born in Cleator Moor, a small mining village in Cumbria, but he had strong ties with Northern Ireland, possibly inspired by the historic association between the two places, Cleator Moor having earned the soubriquet ‘Little Ireland’ following an influx of Irish workers in 1931. His experience of growing up in a declining working-class mining community shaped his politics and practice as an artist and activist. His often provocative blending of conceptual art and controversial subject material to highlight social and political issues led to international recognition, and exhibitions from Tate Britain to the White Box, New York. His work is represented in public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art New York, the National Portrait Gallery London, which purchased his portrait of Gerry Adams (2007), and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Collection, which owns ‘New Northern Ireland Wallpaper’ (2007)’.

Atkinson’s confrontational use of art and political activism meant that he was no stranger to controversy and also left the artist facing difficulty with censorship. This came about most notably in 1978 when his painting on the Troubles, ‘Silver Liberties: A Souvenir of a Wonderful Anniversary Year’, was rejected by the Ulster Museum, along with several other pieces included in the Nicholas Serota-curated ‘Art for Society’ touring group exhibition. A number of staff objected to Atkinson’s painting, which includes portraits of the 13 people killed on Bloody Sunday and which they saw as a pro-Republican statement. The work was censored, resulting the transfer of much of the exhibition to the Arts Council Gallery.

He returned to Belfast in 2006 to complete a commission to create works on the evolving peace and reconciliation process, leading to his 2007 exhibition, ‘Some Wounds Healing: Some Birds Singing’, in the Grand Opera House in Belfast. ‘Silver Liberties’ would be displayed at the Golden Thread Gallery in 2012 and, in 2014, the painting was exhibited at the Ulster Museum as part of their ‘Art of the Troubles’ exhibition.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland first introduced his politically-engaged work to Belfast audiences in the 1975 exhibition, ‘A Shade of Green, an Orange Edge’. This exhibition, part of a series organised by the Arts Council in partnership with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to explore the role of contemporary art in relation to labour, capital, ownership, culture and politics, came at a time when art exhibitions which addressed social problems and issues about violence, counter-violence and injustice were rare in Northern Ireland.

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, paid tribute:

“Conrad Atkinson has been described as one of the most thoroughly humanist artists of our time, and his was certainly one of the most urgent voices, compelling, provoking us, to confront the more painful social, political and economic realities of modern life. His work, driven always by a genuine commitment to make the world a better place, showed us the power that art possesses as an instrument for social change, and reminded us that art is not separate from life.”

*Conrad Atkinson in conversation with Sue Hubbard for Artist’s Newsletter.

Arts Council opens £40,000 Organisations Digital Evolution Awards, supported by The National Lottery

Monday 10th October 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

The Organisations Digital Evolution Awards, worth £40,000, from The National Lottery, offers arts organisations the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £10,000 each and prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the Arts Council’s Creative Industries Officer if they wish to discuss eligibility of their project concepts.

The Organisations Digital Evolution Awards aims to support those arts organisations who are making digital art for the first time or are working with digital or immersive technology which they have not used previously. Collaborative applications from organisations working together in cross-discipline projects and activities are also encouraged. Examples of the types of project that this scheme will support includes:

• Creation of a virtual environment or augmented reality environment; such as augmented reality visual arts or sound overlay on venues or geographical spaces.
• Using technology, such as 3D rendering and printing, to create artwork digitally which can either exist digitally or be manufactured into 3D physical objects.
• Using technology to translate data into artistic content; for example algorithms that create music or visual content from data input
• App development for the delivery of artistic content; this could include gamification or making an artistic experience for consumption on digital devices. (Note: this does not include streaming of filmed / recorded performances)
• Piloting new forms of support to individual artists or organisations that results in the creation of digital art.

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“The opening of the Organisations Digital Evolution Awards is welcome news. Thanks to the National Lottery players, the programme will support arts organisations in the creation of art using digital and immersive technologies, and will also help organisations develop skills in the use of these new technologies. This programme reflects the Arts Council’s commitment to encouraging innovative practices that cross artform boundaries and build digital capabilities within the Northern Ireland arts sector.”

The Organisations Digital Evolution Awards scheme is now open for online applications and will close at 12noon on Monday 14th November. To view the Guidance Notes and make an application visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/organisations-digital-evolution-awards

Please note guidance notes are also available on request in large print format and disk.

Arts Council opens £50,000 Creative Industries Seed Fund, supported by The National Lottery

Monday 10th October 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

The Creative Industries Seed Fund, worth £50,000 from The National Lottery, offers applicants the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £25,000. All the information needed to make an application, including the online application and the Guidance Notes, are now available on the Arts Council’s website.

The Creative Industries Seed Fund aims to assist arts organisations, entrepreneurs, and creative businesses to undertake projects that contribute to the growth of the creative industries and unlock future income generation. Eligible applications must include partnerships between an arts organization or artist and a creative business or academic institution. Proposals must also use new and emerging technology to advance artistic practice to enhance the experience of arts audiences, create new digital artistic products, or allow for digital distribution of existing arts products or services.

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“The opening of the Creative Industries Seed Fund is welcome news and we are delighted to offer this opportunity thanks to The National Lottery players. The programme will support projects that develop and distribute the arts in new and innovative ways using digital and immersive technologies. This programme reflects the Arts Council’s continuing commitment to encouraging innovative practices that cross artform boundaries and build digital capabilities within the Northern Ireland arts sector.”

The Creative Industries Seed Fund is now open for online applications and will close at 12noon on Thursday 15th December 2022 for grants up to a maximum of £25,000. To view the Guidance Notes and make an application visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/creative-industries-seed-programme-III

13 Minority Ethnic Artists Awarded Funding to Support their Careers

Friday 7th October 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

The programme, which is part of the Arts Council’s Support for Individual Artists Programme, was launched last year, thanks to funding from the National Lottery, to support the work of minority ethnic artists and creative practitioners living in Northern Ireland. The programme aims to create opportunities for specialized training, research, cultural exchange, networking and learning for individual artists, creative practitioners and arts administrators, with artist receiving grants of up to £5,000 each.

The Minority Ethnic Artists Mentoring and Residency Programme aims to help individuals at every stage of their career; supporting skills development and career pathways, inspiring excellence and increasing opportunities for young and emerging minority ethnic artists and creatives. The awards announced today will support a range of artists, at various stages of their carer and working across all areas of the arts, including music, visual arts, community arts and literature.

The creation of the programme has been informed by the Arts Council’s Intercultural Arts Strategy and framed within its current business plan. Noirin McKinney, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented: “Thanks to National Lottery Players and the money raised for Good Causes, this important funding programme will directly support our growing community of minority ethnic artists, living and working in Northern Ireland. It will provide the vital support they need to develop their practice, create new creative connections and build future career opportunities.

“Through this programme, we are seeking to create the conditions for the widest variety of art and creativity for both artists and audiences, addressing the numerous and complex barriers to access, progression and representation in the arts encountered by minority ethnic artists.”

CASESTUDIES

Rodrigo Romero Flores, awarded £4,000
Rodrigo is a poet, musician and artist from Osorno, Chile, resident in Northern Ireland. He has undertaken a range of work over the past three years, producing sound and audio visual pieces that have been exhibited and worked internationally. Among his most recent accomplishments in 2022 are an online artist residency in Belgrade Arts Studio in Serbia, Festival Audioblast#10 (France), IV Festival "Sur Aural" (Bolivia) and “Video Sound Archive”. Season 4 (USA). More locally, in 2021 Rodrigo was commissioned by Terranova Productions (Belfast) for their Second Intercultural Cohort Program. The funding from Arts Council will support him to undertake a residency in Iceland, where he will dedicate his time to research, collect, process and create sound pieces from frequencies generated by natural signals tweeks, whistler, sferics, and aurora borealis, captured through an ELF-VLF Receiver. This will be the first opportunity the artist has had to dedicate his time exclusively to a sonic art project and to work with new equipment, in a landscape that is ideal to experiment with these frequencies.

This is the first time Rodrigo has been awarded National Lottery funding from the Arts Council.

Denise Jimena Navarrete Garcia, awarded £2,690
Denise is an early career visual arts facilitator with a formal education background in interior and set design and architectural engineering. This funding will support her to work with a mentor and develop a series of workshops in traditional Mexican visual arts between November 2022 and January 2023, culminating in an exhibition in February 2023.

This is the first time she has been awarded National Lottery funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Raquel McKee, awarded £4,000
Raquel is a Caribbean poet, actress, storyteller and singer/songwriter. She will use this funding to work with a mentor to create a piece of writing for mixed media theatre exploring the theme of justice. The impetus for this is the fact that neither UK nor NI are marking the United Nations declared Decade for People of African Descent, 2015 – 2024.

Raquel has received previous National Lottery awards from the Arts Council and was accepted onto the BBC Writer’s Room in 2021. Her work is rooted in the Caribbean but reflects also her unique experience as a migrant to and resident in Northern Ireland.

Elvira Santamaria-Torres, awarded £4,156
Elvira is a performance artist originally from Mexico, who has achieved international recognition for her practice. She has exhibited internationally and her work often has an element of activism and references the politics of the countries she works within.

With this funding, she will undertake a two-month artist residency from March to April 2023 at the Gresol Association in Spain, an organisation supporting female performance artists through residencies and a range of public programming. She will work with a number of mentors, working towards a new project titled ‘The Healing Powers of Creative Processes of Performance Art’, which will lead to a new ‘process art’ performance piece she will capture through video in a forest setting close to the residency centre. She intends to then revisit this work as a chamber performance piece to be presented in Northern Ireland. She has previously received funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to support her work.

View the list of awards here: http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/ACNI-Minority-Ethnic-Artists-and-Residency-Scheme-Awards-22-23.pdf

Internationally acclaimed Poet Lemn Sissay OBE lights up the Spread the Word Literary Festival

Thursday 6th October 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

‘Spread the Word’ is a week-long multi-disciplinary, multi-platform, multi-age, cross-community literary festival that highlights the importance of reading, writing and literature. The Festival has a unique and wide-ranging programme of events that engages all members of our multicultural community, from the mainstream to the marginalised, and attract a wide range of professional writers from across Ireland, the UK and beyond to attend in person or virtually.

Internationally acclaimed, award-winning Poet, playwright and broadcaster, Lemn Sissay, performed to a packed house earlier this week as part of the Festival. Lemn who was the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics read from his best-selling memoir, My Name is Why, a powerful book about neglect, determination and hope.

Iain Barr, Chief Executive, Waterside Theatre, said

“This is the first of what we hope will become a permanent annual literary festival for the region and features a number of highly anticipated events and workshops with Mammy Banter, the marvellous Lemn Sissay OBE, PJ Lynch, Lucy Caldwell and Time for Crime with Garbhán Downey, Claire Allan & Brian McGilloway and much more!

There is something for everyone, with storytelling for the young and old with local storyteller Liz Weir, The Makeyuppers Gemma Walker- Farren & Sorcha Shanahan. There are also artistic development opportunities available through our Comic Book workshops and Memoir workshops. We even have Ekphrastic Writing inspired by the weeklong exhibition of former Laureate na nÓg PJ Lynch’s Pilgrims, Princesses and Beardy Old Men! We’ve been delighted with the audience reaction so far and look forward to welcoming more people to the festival throughout this week and weekend.”

Ray Hall, Board Member at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland added,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted and proud to support the Waterside Theatre’s first-ever Spread The Word Literary Festival, thanks to National Lottery players. This is a significant Festival which has attracted some of the biggest names in literature to Derry-Londonderry, a city which is world-famous for its strong links to literature, music and culture. The team at Waterside Theatre has curated a great programme, and I am really looking forward to spending time with internationally acclaimed writers as well local talents. Congratulations to everyone involved in presenting this impressive literature festival - please come see it, it’s great!”

Remaining Spread the Word events this week will feature Nicola Pierce, Time for Crime with Claire Allan, Brian McGilloway and Garbhán Downey, plus renowned illustrator PJ Lynch, and an event with Dr. Hilary McCollum, Paul Maddern, Mícheál McCann and Daire Ní Chanáin, celebrating the writing of LGBTQIA+ authors plus much more. To view the full programme visit www.watersidetheatreni.com

New Survey reveals Arts Organisations in NI Remain Under Significant Post-Covid Pressures

Tuesday 4th October 2022 at 12pm 0 Comments

While there was some improvement on the previous year’s report, with a marginal increase in fulltime employment opportunities over the last twelve months, and more performances taking place, the outlook for the current year remains uncertain. Northern Ireland’s key arts companies have reached 45% of audiences levels compared to the pre pandemic year 2018/19, and prepare for another difficult year ahead, amid extraordinary increases in the cost of living.

In 2021/22, 97 organisations received £13 million in funding support from the Arts Council. All the organisations surveyed for this report received funding from the Arts Council’s Annual Funding Programme (AFP), the largest financial awards made to key arts organisations every year to support year round running costs and programming**. There were no changes to the portfolio this year, with 46% of awards going to organisations based in the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland.

The survey collects data on financial statements (income and expenditure), numbers of performances, participation based events, exhibitions and festivals. It also records details of known and estimated audiences.

Karly Greene, Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships, at the Arts Council commented: “The Annual Funding Survey is a critical tool in understanding what’s happening in Northern Ireland’s arts sector today, providing vital information on finances, employment levels, arts activities and audience engagement. The year under review spanned a period of lockdown from April-July 2021, when venues remained shut, only reopening thereafter to restricted audiences and a reduced programme of activities. The impact of this is evident in the data, with earned income at the box office remaining far below pre-pandemic levels and audience figures down to 2.2million – 45% of 2018/19 levels.

“Core costs are rising, volunteer levels are still less than half of pre-pandemic levels and there were over 40,000 fewer face-to-face activities in the form of performances, participation-based events, exhibitions, festivals and cinema screenings, compared to 2018/2019.

“Looking ahead, arts organisations are facing another hugely difficult year. The sector still hasn’t recovered from Covid and combined with current steep rises in living costs and mounting financial pressures for all, this survey highlights a need for ongoing financial support, if the arts community is to survive and thrive in the future.”

Key findings:

Workforce

• Workforce levels remain suppressed with a 5% increase in overall staffing levels compared to the previous year. Compared to pre-pandemic levels (2018/19), overall employment remains 33% lower.
• Significant increases in the full-time employment of contract staff (up 65% on last year), suggests more hiring of artists by producing organisations, but this is tempered by a lack of movement in the part-time contract market, which did not change year-on-year.
• Females (including trans women) comprise 66% of those employed as ‘specialists’ and 59% of those employed in managerial capacities.
• Eleven per cent of the workforce reported a disability in 2021/22, an increase of 3 per cent compared to the previous year. This is more likely to reflect improved confidence by individuals reporting their disability rather than an actual increase in the number of disabled people employed.
• The portfolio remains predominantly heterosexual, comprising 86% of the overall workforce. There was a marginal 0.6% increase in the employment LGBTQ+ groups and artists were the most diverse group by employment type.
• The age profile of managers is getting older, with the proportion of those aged 55-64 increasing by 8% compared to 2018/19. Those employed as artists and in specialist capacities tend to be younger. 36% of specialists are aged 25-34, compared to 15% of managers.
• Five percent of the workforce was from an ethnic minority background. Artists were the most diverse group based on ethnicity, with 7% being from an ethnic minority background.
• Volunteering levels increased compared to the previous year but were still less than half that of pre-pandemic levels. Each individual volunteered an average 18.2 hours in support of a portfolio organisation.

Income and expenditure

• Earned income remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic, recovering to 72% of 2019/20 levels. Box-office income seems particularly slow to recover, the result of continued, limited consumer confidence. Income from ‘professional services’ increased by 22% compared to 2019/20 as organisations seek to generate income from alternative earned sources.
• Income from public sources is up 30% on 2019/20, with government departments contributions (up 27%) and other UK public sources (up 95%) – this is also likely to represent a legacy from the emergency pandemic support.
• Income from contributed sources, such as sponsorship, remains low as smaller audience levels attract fewer commercial sponsors.
• Core costs continue to rise, up 30% on 2019/20. Salary costs have increased by 24% compared to 2019/20 and are likely to increase further this year as a consequence of inflationary pressure. Core maintenance and security expenditure jumped by over two-thirds over the same period, possibly reflecting the cost of maintaining the aging arts infrastructure.
• Limited levels of in-person performances and productions resulted in reduced programming costs in 2020/21. Artist and marketing costs were still below 2019/20 levels but equipment and material costs increased by 13% to £2.0m overall. This is likely to reflect the increasing cost of raw materials.

Physical engagement

• As reflected in the financial data, activity levels remain 58% lower than in 2018/19. That equates to over 40,000 fewer face-to-face activities in the form of performances, participation-based events, exhibitions, festivals and cinema screenings.
• As a consequence of lower activity levels, physical audiences were reduced. At 2.2 million, they were only 45% of 2018/19 levels.

Digital output

• The use of technologies to deliver live artistic and cultural experiences continues to rise, with the number of new online activities delivered increasing by 43% compared to the previous year. As a consequence the number of online interactions increased by 83% over the same period.

Accessibility and engagement

• AFP organisations employ a range of accessibility methods, to create more inclusive spaces for disabled and neurodivergent people. In 2021/22, physical access methods, in the form of wheelchair access and accessible toilets were reported as provided ‘all of the time’ by over half of the portfolio. Conversely, communication methods, including captioning and audio-description were only provided by a minority of organisations ‘some of the time’.

The Annual Funding Survey is used to provide evidence of the use of funding for reporting to Government and other key stakeholders and it also helps support the Arts Council’s detailed understanding of grant recipients, informing future planning and policy development.

This is the second full year of the current survey format which was revised to reflect changes in delivery methods introduced by clients during the pandemic. Gender, disability and sexual orientation classifications were also updated in 2020/21.

In addition to the report, a data table has been created allowing the interrogation of data by artform type and organisation size (as determined by income). This valuable resource will enable arts organisations to benchmark their activity at a sector level.

To access the report and data tables go to: http://artscouncil-ni.org/research-and-development/research-publications

*Please note, the reporting period for this survey is 1st April 2021-31st March 2022.

** The Arts Council of Northern Ireland offers a range of funding programmes annually for artists and organisations through its exchequer and National Lottery funds. The organisations surveyed for the Annual Funding Survey are those which have received grants through the Annual Funding Programme, the largest financial awards made by the Arts Council to arts organisations across all artform areas including festivals and venues.

Winners unveiled at the Arts & Business NI Awards 2022, in partnership with Forestside

Monday 3rd October 2022 at 12pm 0 Comments

The ceremony brought together the cultural and private sectors, to celebrate the best in creative partnerships and also recognise the achievements of outstanding individuals.

The acclaimed Arts Organisation of the Year 2022 award, which comes with a £3000 cash investment from Forestside, went to Belfast Exposed, “for their pioneering creative partnerships, which have helped to create change across the community”. The leading photography organisation also took home the New Sponsor Award, for their partnership with Translink on the ‘Natural Connections’ photography competition and exhibition.

The Business of the Year Award 2022 went to The American Bar. The judges were impressed by owner Pedro Donald’s “commitment to creativity and culture and his passion for the regeneration of the Sailortown area, in which The American Bar is located.”

Arts & Business NI, CEO Mary Nagele said: “Our award winners are shining examples of the amazing benefits of collaboration between the Arts and businesses. We have a cultural sector to be proud of, and at a time when all sectors continue to face unprecedented challenges, it is hugely important we showcase the value of working together and the amazing things that can happen when we do.”

Other winning partnerships on the night included, Cahoots NI & Savills, Arts Care & Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Young at Art & U105 and Millennium Forum & Specsavers. Each winner took home a specially commissioned piece of artwork created by Sasha McVey Ceramics, which was sponsored by Bank of Ireland.

Lee Cutler, Forestside Centre Manager and Principal Sponsor commented: “We were delighted to sponsor the Arts & Business NI Awards for the second year running. The awards are a chance to shine a light on the past year’s successful creative partnerships which have helped to make Northern Ireland a more vibrant place, in which to live and do business.”

Arts & Business NI Awards have been celebrating and inspiring connections between the cultural and commercial sectors in Northern Ireland for over 20 Years. To read the full list of Award winners go to https://www.artsandbusinessni.org.uk/news/2022/september/winners-announced-for-abni-awards-2022-in-partnership-with-forestside or read below.

Full list of Winners and Highly Commended from the Arts & Business NI Awards 2022, in partnership with Forestside

Creative Community Engagement Award 

Winner: Cahoots NI & Savills

Highly Commended: Millennium Forum & Specsavers

Staff Engagement Award

Winner: Arts Care & Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Brand Storytelling Award

Winner: Young at Art & U105

Highly Commended: The Playhouse & The Guildhall

New Sponsor Award 

Winner: Belfast Exposed & Translink

Highly commended: Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival & The American Bar

Commitment to Diversity Award

Winner: Millennium Forum & Specsavers

Highly commended: Kabosh & Cara Friend

Inspirational Trustee Award 

Winner: Bernie Shiels, Stage Beyond

Highly Commended: Maria Lee, Young at Art

Arts Organisation of the Year

Winner: Belfast Exposed

Business of the Year

Winner: The American Bar

Arts Innovator Award

Winner: Stephen Kelly, c21 Theatre Company

Above and Beyond Award

Winner: Jenni Barkley, Belfast Harbour

Forestside Choice Award

Winner: Jennifer Willis, photographer for the ‘Seen to be Heard’ project

Third NI Writers Day Takes Place at the Lyric

Wednesday 28th September 2022 at 12pm 0 Comments

Hosted by the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland the event focused on writing for stage and screen, showcasing writers who have enjoyed success in TV, film and theatre.

The event unfolded in two parts, opening with an intimate lunchtime writing workshop for 10 up and coming scriptwriters with critic and playwright Bonnie Greer.

The evening event featured a panel discussion lead by Bonnie, with an introduction from Irenosen Okojie, writer and Vice-Chair of the Royal Society of Literature, and highlights from a specially recorded interview with Declan Lawn (BBC’s Salisbury Poisonings, Netflix’s Rogue Agent), who shared his tips and insights into the writing and commissioning process, in conversation with Aine Toner, Features Editor of the Belfast Telegraph.

Bonnie Greer is a Chicago born writer, playwright and critic. She studied with David Mamet and Elaine Kazan, taught playwriting to students and formerly incarcerated women, and has seen her plays performed to great acclaim around the world.

Joining her on the NI Writers Day panel was writer and theatre director Fionnuala Kennedy whose play, Removed, produced by Prime Cut Productions, in partnership with Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC), won the 2020 Zebbie award for Best Play and is set to tour internationally in 2023.

Director and performer Stacy Gregg, also shared their experiences of the industry, having written extensively for television and worked with global broadcasting platforms. Most recently they directed a block of The Baby (Sky/HBO) and wrote and directed the feature film Here Before, which premiered at South by Southwest.

Paul McVeigh completed the line-up. A multi-award winning author, Paul has written comedy, essays, flash fiction, a novel, plays and short stories. His work has been performed on radio, stage and television, and published in seven languages. Paul most recent work for stage, Big Man, will premiere at the Lyric Theatre next month.

This event marks the third Arts Council and RSL NI Writers Day collaboration and the first in the series to take place live.

Director of the RSL, Molly Rosenberg, explained:

“The RSL is really happy to be working with the Arts Council in collaboration on the third instalment of Northern Ireland Writers Day. This year our day celebrates the work of writers beyond the page, across screen, theatre and performance. We hope that the workshop and evening discussion this year will inspire even more connection between writers across forms and across Northern Ireland.”

Damian Smyth, Head of Literature and Drama at the Arts Council, said:

“Once again the Arts Council is working in partnership with the Royal Society of Literature to help raise the profile of writers from NI and highlight the range of skills writers bring to the contemporary scene. It’s a particular joy to welcome Bonnie Greer, whose wisdom as a writer and thinker has influenced so many.”

Multi Award-Winning Screenwriter Declan Lawn Joins Line-up for Third NI Writers Day

Friday 23rd September 2022 at 1pm 0 Comments

Hosted by the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland on Monday, 26th September, the event will focus on writing for stage and screen, showcasing writers who have enjoyed success in TV, film and theatre.

The event will unfold in two parts, opening with an intimate lunchtime writing workshop for 12 up and coming scriptwriters with critic and playwright Bonnie Greer.

The evening event will feature a panel discussion lead by Bonnie, with an introduction from Irenosen Okojie, writer and Vice-Chair of the Royal Society of Literature, and highlights from a specially recorded interview with Declan Lawn (BBC’s Salisbury Poisonings, Netflix’s Rogue Agent), who will share his tips and insights into the writing and commissioning process, in conversation with Aine Toner, Features Editor of the Belfast Telegraph.

Bonnie Greer is a Chicago born writer, playwright and critic. She studied with David Mamet and Elaine Kazan, taught playwriting to students and formerly incarcerated women, and has seen her plays performed to great acclaim around the world.

Joining her on the NI Writers Day panel writers will be writer and theatre director Fionnuala Kennedy whose play, Removed, produced by Prime Cut Productions, in partnership with Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC), won the 2020 Zebbie award for Best Play and is set to tour internationally in 2023.

Director and performer Stacey Gregg, will also share their experiences of the industry, having written extensively for television and worked with global broadcasting platforms. Most recently they directed a block of The Baby (Sky/HBO) and wrote and directed the feature film Here Before, which premiered at South by Southwest.

Paul McVeigh will complete the lineup. A multi-award winning author, Paul has written comedy, essays, flash fiction, a novel, plays and short stories. His work has been performed on radio, stage and television, and published in seven languages. Paul most recent work for stage, Big Man, will premiere at the Lyric Theatre next month.

This event marks the third Arts Council and RSL NI Writers Day collaboration and the first in the series to take place live.

Director of the RSL, Molly Rosenberg, explained:

“The RSL is really happy to be working with the Arts Council in collaboration on the third instalment of Northern Ireland Writers Day. This year our day celebrates the work of writers beyond the page, across screen, theatre and performance. We hope that the workshop and evening discussion this year will inspire even more connection between writers across forms and across Northern Ireland. This day is open to everyone, including those who have attended before, and, we hope, even more people will join us this time around, as we explore the literary potential of words beyond the page.”

Damian Smyth, Head of Literature and Drama at the Arts Council, said:

“Once again the Arts Council is working in partnership with the Royal Society of Literature to help raise the profile of writers from NI and highlight the range of skills writers bring to the contemporary scene. It’s a particular joy to welcome Bonnie Greer, whose wisdom as a writer and thinker has influenced so many. A great event awaits.”

Tickets

Tickets to NI Writers Day 3 can be booked via the Lyric Theatre box office and are priced at £5. Contact the Lyric box office to book your seat on 02890 381 081 or go to: https://lyrictheatre.co.uk/whats-on/royal-society-of-literature-panel-discussion-with-bonnie-greer.

Please note, Bonnie Greer’s lunchtime writing workshop is now fully booked.

Jane Hirshfield appointed Seamus Heaney International Visiting Poetry Fellow at Queen’s University

Friday 23rd September 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

The fellowship is part of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) and Queen’s University’s joint ten-year Seamus Heaney Legacy project and is supported by Atlantic Philanthropies. The appointment is worth £20,000 annually and made to a distinguished poet of international repute.

Hirshfield will be based at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s in November this year, presenting public readings, workshops and masterclasses for students at the University. Jane Hirshfield is one of American poetry's central spokespersons for concerns of the biosphere. She is described as writing “some of the most important poetry in the world today,” according to The New York Times and as “among the modern masters” by The Washington Post.

Speaking about the appointment and looking ahead to her time in Belfast, Jane said:

“The work of poets is to take what is almost unsayable of grief, beauty and our human, shared fates, and somehow bring them into words, that may hold their recognitions in forms retrievable, useful, and moving."

“Having known Seamus Heaney long as a poet whose work made my own life larger, and then as a friend - we met first in Krakow in 2000, at a millennial festival of world poets, and then in Dublin, San Francisco, and Rome - I'm profoundly honored to be coming to Belfast to hold the Center's visiting position created in his memory. To be able to walk this city of poets and poems, of mutual inhabitance whose sharing informs my own- feels an invitation of immeasurable proportion.”

Professor Glenn Patterson, Director of the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s, said:

“After the terrible couple of years we have all come through, years in which we at the Seamus Heaney Centre were obliged to hit pause on so many cherished activities, it is a pleasure to be able to welcome, live and in person, our third International Visiting Poetry Fellow to the Centre. And such a privilege, as well as a pleasure, to be able to announce that the Fellow is Jane Hirshfield, a poet of the very highest order. Jane’s presence and the programme of events she has planned will be an enormous boost to our students and to the whole literary community. The 2nd of November can’t come soon enough.”

Nóirín McKinney, Director of Arts Development at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented:

“We are delighted to announce Jane Hirshfield’s appointment today as the third Seamus Heaney International Visiting Poetry Fellow. During her time in Northern Ireland, Jane will work closely with the MA students at Queen’s and take part in a series of engagements. We very much hope Jane finds plenty of inspiration during her time here, as I am sure her work and presence will inspire all those who have the pleasure of attending her events during this residency.”

The distinguished selection panel assigned to make the appointment included poets and lecturers at Queen’s University Belfast Nick Laird and Leontia Flynn, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Gerald Dawe, Michael Longley and Paula Meehan, plus Glenn Patterson, representing the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s, and Nóirín McKinney from the Arts Council.

Comedian, Emer Maguire & Writer, Dawn Watson, to be showcased by the NI Office in Brussels

Thursday 22nd September 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

On Friday 23rd September, comedian, Emer Maguire will bring the spirit of Culture Night to Brussels with a performance hosted by the Northern Ireland Executive Office. Culture Night will attract an invited audience of officials from the EU Institutions, across the diplomatic community and beyond.

Later in the month, writer and poet, Dawn Watson, will represent Northern Ireland at the 12th TRANSPOESIE festival in Brussels on Tuesday 27th September. Dawn’s poem, Taking the Auspices, has been translated into Dutch and French and is currently on display in public spaces and parks around the Belgian capital. Dawn was selected to be a part of the international project by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels and will present her work at a special event at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura on 27th September.

Launched in 2011, TRANSPOESIE is an annual poetry festival that celebrates multilingualism by bringing poetry in as many languages as possible to Brussels. It is organised by EUNIC Brussels (the local network of European Union National Institutes for Culture) and its partners. TRANSPOESIE was inspired by the successful and long-standing Poems on the Underground in London and Wiersze w Metrze in Warsaw, as well as similar projects run in various capital cities all over the world such as Paris, New York and Montreal.

Speaking about the Brussels Platform, Noirin McKinney, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:

“The Brussels Platform is a terrific opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of the immense talent we have in Northern Ireland. Both Emer Maguire and Dawn Watson are wonderful ambassadors for the Arts here and the Arts Council is proud to support these artists in showcasing their talents as part of Culture Night Brussels and the TRANSPOESIE poetry festival. We very much look forward to seeing Emer and Dawn present their work to an international audience, helping to put Northern Ireland on the map for all the right reasons.”

Aodhán Connolly, Director of the Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels, added,

“The Brussels Platform continues to provide the ideal opportunity to showcase the very best of talent on a European stage and to highlight Northern Ireland’s ever growing reputation as a centre of excellence in the arts. I look forward to welcoming Emer to this year’s Culture Night and Dawn to the Transpoesie festival for events that will not only appeal to the diplomatic community but culture lovers from Brussels and beyond”

For more information on Culture Night Brussels visit www.brusselsni.com and for more information on the TRANSPOESIE Festival visit www.transpoesie.eu or Facebook event.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is involved in a range of international platforms including Brussels with the Northern Ireland Executive Office, Paris with Centre Culturel Irlandais, and India in a range of artist residencies.

New performing arts studio opens as Bounce celebrates 10th anniversary

Wednesday 21st September 2022 at 4pm 0 Comments

The Ledger Studio in Royal Avenue will be used for theatre, comedy, dance, music and spoken word performed by D/deaf, disabled and Neurodiverse artists.

The studio will be officially opened on October 7 at the start of the Bounce Arts Festival, which showcases the best new work by D/deaf, disabled and neurodiverse artists at venues across Belfast, Derry and online in Fermanagh and Omagh.

Bounce, which is run by the University of Atypical and supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Department for Communities and Belfast City Council, has grown into one of the top disability arts festivals in Europe. It runs from October 7-9.

Damien Coyle, Chief Executive of University of Atypical, speaking at the launch of the Bounce programme said:

“This is an exciting time for University of Atypical. Over the past decade our fabulous Bounce Arts festival has expanded and we are proud to launch an exciting and eclectic programme that includes music, performance and visual art, drama and dance as well as a book launch by one of the recipients of the Chris Ledger Legacy Awards. While we make Bounce events as accessible as possible to D/deaf, disabled and neurodiverse audiences, we want Bounce to be for everyone.”

“And with the new Ledger Studio we will be able to reach even greater audiences throughout the year. This is a wonderful legacy to Chris who did so much for arts and disability in Northern Ireland.”

Patricia Lavery, Acting Head of Community Arts & Education, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added:

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is committed to supporting the work and career development of our D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled artists. The Bounce Arts Festival offers an important platform to shine a light on work from these artists whilst also showcasing work by disabled artists from the UK and Europe.

“Congratulations to the University of Atypical who have curated a terrific programme for Bounce this year which features some of the most talented artists from Northern Ireland including Ruth McGinley, Larry McAree and Alice McCullough, among others. I am also delighted to see the University of Atypical launch the Ledger Studio, a very fitting tribute to the legacy of Chris Ledger and offering exciting opportunities for showcasing the work of our D/deaf, neurodivergent and disabled artists in the future.”

Speaking at the launch of the Bounce programme, Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Christina Black said:

“To launch this studio during the 10th anniversary of the University of Atypical’s annual Bounce Festival is a wholly fitting tribute to Chris Ledger who was such a powerful advocate for arts inclusion and accessibility.

“We’re very proud to invest in Bounce through our Cultural Multi-Annual Grant scheme. It’s fantastic to partner with the only festival in the region that is dedicated to showcasing outstanding new work by D/deaf, disabled and neurodiverse creatives.

“It’s so heartening to see the progress that’s been made over the last decade – and I have no doubt that the University of Atypical is bound for even greater things over the next decade and beyond. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to take a step outside their ‘typical’ experience and get along to see what Bounce has to offer.”

In addition to holding events in the Ledger Studio, the organisation is taking over the Crescent Arts Centre for the weekend as well as holding performances in the Lyric, the Black Box, Centre for Contemporary Art and the Nerve Centre in Derry/Londonderry.

Some highlights of the weekend include:

• The Song of the Bones at the Lyric which charts the story of Ireland’s last witch trial in Islandmagee using electronic pop music with puppetry and spoken word poetry. It features spell-binding narratives by award-winning performance poet Alice McCullough.
• Celebrated pianist Ruth McGinley performs an original piece at the Crescent Arts Centre.
• Kids in Control’s Blue Chevy Ensemble will be performing Scenes from Inner Space, a special piece devised with Paula Clarke, the BSL interpreter for BBC NI news. Kids in Control’s are the Theatre in Residence Company at the new Ledger Studio.
• Legendary DJ and musician Jonny Mac’s Warriors of the Dystotheque presents Anthropause, the House and Techno session featuring Reverse Jazz & Micky O Brien at the Nerve Centre in Derry.
• Visual artist Hugh O’Donnell performs Liminal at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Derry.
• Still Livin’, is an interactive, immersive exhibition by Larry McAree at the University of Atypical Gallery. Larry will also be launching a book telling the story of his life as part of Bounce Festival.

There’s a packed programme this year including pop up performances by the Open Arts Choir and Joel Kenny as well as workshops and masterclasses.

For more information on all the live shows, workshops, and online content and to book tickets, go to www.universityofatypical.org/bounce

Arts Council announces funding targeted at improving young people’s health and wellbeing

Tuesday 20th September 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

Made possible, thanks to funding for good causes from the National Lottery, the ARTiculate Programme gives a voice to young people through drama, music, visual arts and literature activities. Groups applying for funding support are asked to give a particular focus to including young people experiencing higher levels of disadvantage or exclusion and more vulnerable groups, such as those living with a mental health condition, eating disorders or addiction.

The fund is now open for applications with grants of up to £10,000 available to develop custom-made arts projects for 12 to 18 year olds. This current phase of the programme marks the welcome return of the ARTiculate programme after a three year hiatus.

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented:

“Thanks to funding from the National Lottery, we are delighted to announce the reopening of the ARTiculate Programme today. The positive links between engagement in the arts and our health and wellbeing are firmly established and we believe that this programme is more important than ever post-pandemic, as young people across Northern Ireland continue to recover from the effects of lock-down and social isolation.

“With this funding, we want to reach out to some of the most vulnerable children in society. We are looking for projects that are fun and engaging but also those which enable participants to shape the activity and be involved as decision makers. At its very core, this important programme is about opening up opportunities for young people to engage in the arts and to experience the many benefits that brings; promoting self-expression, and developing self-confidence and self-motivation.”

The ARTiculate Programme was first launched in 2017 and since then has awarded 46 grants to organisations to develop projects across a range of arts activities including, DJing, graffiti art, ceramics, drama and creative writing.

Fresh Minds Education received a grant through the ARTiculate programme in 2018 to develop a series of music workshops for pupils living in and around the Rathenraw estate in Antrim.

Led by artist Una McCann, seventeen 12-18 year olds worked with younger children from the local primary school to draw out the emotions which affect them most, including feeling angry, sad, anxious, worried or low. By taking a creative approach, the group was able to explore the feelings and learn the AMBER approach, which is a structure that supports children to develop coping mechanisms in a safe and relaxed environment. To mark the end of their project, the group worked with a professional studio to record some of the music they had created.

Aine Wallace who developed the project on behalf of Fresh Minds Education explained:

“We found the ARTiculate programme to be hugely beneficial for all the children who took part in our project. Over two months we watched their confidence grow and their real selves shine. This programme gave them the opportunity to use music as a vehicle to talk about their feelings and relationships, to learn how to be brave, open to fail, yet courageous enough to rise again.”

Applications to the ARTiculate programme opened on Tuesday 20th September and will close on Tuesday 11th October 2022 at 12 noon. For guidance notes and application details go to http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/young-people-wellbeing-arts-programme

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Friday 9th September 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

Arts Council opens new Commissioning Programme for Organisations

Thursday 8th September 2022 at 11am 0 Comments

Commissions may be applied for across all art form areas supported by the Arts Council. Proposals may also be cross-art form.

The finished work should be in a form capable of being presented, exhibited, published, performed and/or disseminated in its entirety at the point of completion in Northern Ireland (if applicable abroad) either live or online.

This programme is for projects and programmes which will complete by 15th December 2023.

The maximum award is £25,000.

Closing date for applications is 12 noon, 31st October 2022.

To view the guidance notes and apply visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/commissioning-programme

Arts Council and Royal Society of Literature announce third NI Writers Day, Monday 26 September 2022

Wednesday 7th September 2022 at 2pm 0 Comments

The third NI Writers Day will take place on Monday 26th September 2022 and shine a spotlight on the art of writing for stage and screen, providing a platform for discussion, sharing industry insights and celebrating the work of local writers.

Headed up by esteemed playwright, novelist, critic and broadcaster Bonnie Greer, recently announced a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the event will unfold in two sessions.

The first, an intimate lunchtime writing workshop with Bonnie for 12 playwrights wanting to hone their craft. Participants will have the chance to read one of Bonnie Greer’s latest scripts and hear about her life in theatre, having studied with David Mamet and Elaine Kazan, taught playwriting to students and formerly incarcerated women, and seen her plays performed to great acclaim around the world.

The evening event will feature a panel discussion in the Lyric’s Naughton Studio and is open to the public.

Chaired by Bonnie Greer, it will celebrate Northern Ireland-born playwrights, who have gained local and international acclaim for their work. The line-up will include writer and theatre director Fionnuala Kennedy whose play, Removed, produced by Prime Cut Productions, in partnership with Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC), won the 2020 Zebbie award for Best Play and is set to tour internationally in 2023. Director and performer Stacy Gregg, will also share their experiences of the industry, having written extensively for television and worked with global broadcasting platforms. Most recently they directed a block of The Baby (Sky/HBO) and wrote and directed the feature film Here Before, which premiered at South by Southwest.

This event marks the third Arts Council and RSL NI Writers Day collaboration and the first in the series to take place live.

Director of the RSL, Molly Rosenberg, explained:

“The RSL is really happy to be working with the Arts Council in collaboration on the third instalment of Northern Ireland Writers Day. This year our day celebrates the work of writers beyond the page, across screen, theatre and performance. We hope that the workshop and evening discussion this year will inspire even more connection between writers across forms and across Northern Ireland. This day is open to everyone, including those who have attended before, and, we hope, even more people will join us this time around, as we explore the literary potential of words beyond the page.”

Damian Smyth, Head of Literature and Drama at the Arts Council, said:

“Once again the Arts Council is working in partnership with the Royal Society of Literature to help raise the profile of writers from NI and highlight the range of skills writers bring to the contemporary scene. It’s a particular joy to welcome Bonnie Greer, whose wisdom as a writer and thinker has influenced so many. A great event awaits.”

Tickets

Tickets for Bonnie Greer’s lunchtime writing workshop are free but numbers are strictly limited. To apply please send a short paragraph about yourself and a two page writing sample to info@rsliterature.org before 5pm on Thursday 15 September. The sample should be a script or a piece of writing relating to performance. You will be contacted the following week as to whether you have a place held in the workshop.

Tickets to the evening event, NI Writers Day 3, can be booked via the Lyric Theatre box office from 1pm on Wednesday 9th August and are priced at £5. Contact the Lyric box office to book your seat on 02890 381 081 or go to: https://lyrictheatre.co.uk/whats-on/royal-society-of-literature-panel-discussion-with-bonnie-greer.

Biographies

Bonnie Greer OBE was born in Chicago Illinois and grew up on the Southside. She studied playwriting with David Mamet and with Elia Kazan. She has had several plays produced and was awarded The Verity Bargate Award. Bonnie also taught Shakespeare as a literacy tool. Her novels include Hanging by Her Teeth (1996) and Entropy (2006) as well as a biography of Langston Hughes. She was Deputy Chair of the British Museum and awarded the OBE in 2010. Bonnie was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2022.

Fionnuala Kennedy is a writer from Belfast. Her play Removed, produced by Prime Cut Productions, in partnership with Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC), won the 2020 Zebbie award for Best Play and will be touring internationally in 2023. Most recently, she has written Thaw for Replay Theatre Company, and Hunt, for the National Theatre’s Connections Programme 21/22. She is currently under commission for NI Opera writing a libretto for young people on housing rights. Fionnuala is one of the writers of BBC Drama Room 21/22. 

Stacey Gregg is a writer, director and performer for stage and screen. Most recently they directed a block of The Baby (Sky/HBO), wrote and directed feature film Here Before which premiered at SXSW; co-directed Inside Bitch for the Royal Court Theatre and Clean Break working with women in the criminal justice system, and wrote and performed Hatchet Jinny at Outburst Queer Arts Festival. Gregg has written extensively for television and her plays are published by Nick Hern Books and Bloomsbury. Her work has toured internationally.

Irenosen Okojie is a Nigerian British writer. Appointed to the Royal Society of Literature as a Fellow in 2018, her short stories have been published in the US, Africa and the UK. Her debut novel, Butterfly Fish, was published in 2015, for which she was a recipient of a 2016 Betty Trask Award. Her short story collection, Speak Gigantular, was published in 2016. It was shortlisted for the 2016 inaugural Jhalak Prize and the 2017 Edge Hill Short Story Prize. A collection of short stories, Nudibranch, was published in 2019. It was longlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2020. The story ‘Grace Jones’ won the 2020 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. In 2021 she was awarded an MBE For Services To Literature. A novel, Curandera, is forthcoming in 2022.

Paul McVeigh co-founded Scarecrow Theatre Company, in Belfast, in the 1980s. The company won an Edinburgh Fringe First and represented Northern Ireland at the International Theatre Festival in Gdansk. He also co-founded the all-island Armada Theatre Festival which took place in Belfast, Derry and Dublin, simultaneously. Moving to London, he wrote and directed shows which toured to the Edinburgh Fringe and London’s West End. Paul’s work has appeared in venues such as the Barbican, Cochrane, Hampstead and Tricycle Theatres.

Paul's debut novel, The Good Son, won The Polari First Novel Prize, The McCrea Literary Award and was shortlisted for many others including the Prix de roman Cezam. His short stories have appeared on BBC Radio 3, 4 & 5, and Sky Arts. His writing has been translated into seven languages. His new play 'Big Man' will be on at Lyric Theatre as part of the 2022 Belfast Interntional Arts Festival.

Shortlist Revealed for Arts & Business NI Awards 2022

Wednesday 7th September 2022 at 11am 0 Comments

The awards celebrate the best in creative partnerships between the cultural and private sectors in Northern Ireland and winners will be announced at the prestigious awards ceremony later this month. Awards categories include Arts Organisation of the Year, Business of the Year and an Inspirational Trustee Award.

This year, organisers of the awards received an “unprecedented number of applications” from partnerships across a diverse range of sectors including retail, hospitality, industry, transport, media and arts and culture.

Mary Nagele, CEO, Arts & Business NI commented: “We were delighted to receive such an outstanding selection of nominations this year, which really showcase the amazing things which can happen when the cultural and private sectors collaborate. There are so many inspiring and pioneering projects in the mix, and we can’t wait to showcase and celebrate them at our awards ceremony in a few weeks’ time.”

Lee Cutler, Centre Manager of Forestside Shopping Centre and Principal Awards Sponsor also commented: “The judging panel were really impressed by the breadth and scope of this year’s applications. There are some fantastic partnerships and deserving individuals being acknowledged at this year’s awards. Congratulations and good luck to all the shortlisted candidates.”

The full shortlist is linked here

The Arts and Business NI Awards will take place in September 2022.

Arts & Business Northern Ireland’s principal funder is the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Nine projects gets share of £53,000 Arts Council fund for community projects

Wednesday 31st August 2022 at 12pm 0 Comments

Supported through National Lottery funds, the Small Grants Programme is designed to encourage organisations in Northern Ireland to get more people to engage with the arts through creative, community-based projects. Grants are awarded by the Arts Council on a monthly basis and organisations can apply for up to £10,000 to support projects in any art form, including music, drama, dance, literature, visual, and participatory arts.

One of the projects set to benefit from funding is the Armagh Pipers Club. It has been awarded £10,000 to help cover the costs of providing tutors to teach evening classes, covering eight different instruments and singing.

Ciarán Ó Maoláin, from Armagh Pipers Club, said:

“Armagh Pipers Club, founded in 1966, was among the first traditional arts organisations to receive funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, back in 1973. The Arts Council has been one of our principal funders ever since, and its support has enabled the Club to train thousands of young musicians and to provide work for dozens of skilled tutors. Our recent Small Grant will go towards tutor costs for our 2022-23 teaching programme.”

Commenting on funding programme, Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:

AUGUST Small Grants Programme Awardees:

Banbridge Music Society, awarded £7,360 for their project ‘All Shook Up”
Banbridge Musical Society will produce a new musical theatre show, "All Shook Up", for audiences in the ABC Council District and its surrounding areas. All Shook Up is a Jukebox Musical featuring hits from the Elvis Presley songbook. The group will stage four shows in early October and will perform at the Market Place for the first time.

Shore Collective, awarded £3,520 for The Winter Project (Craigavon)
The Winter Project is a series of twenty, weekly arts workshop sessions. Each workshop will be two hours long and aimed primarly at the unemployed, elderly, young mothers, socially isolated and less included members of our community in the Craigavon area. Possible activities will include silk painting and Shibori, monoprinting and linocut, paper making and bookbinding, drawing and painting techniques, wet felting and hand embroidery, ceramics. An end of project exhibition will be held in the Atrium for participants and their friends and family.

Armagh Pipers Club, awarded £10,000 for its Term 1 Education Programme
Armagh Pipers Club will use their Small Grants award for the payment of tutors providing evening classes in traditional music. The grant will cover the provision of ten teaching nights each with 32 to 36 hour-long classes, covering eight instruments and singing, at four levels from beginner to senior.

Music in Fermanagh, awarded £3,444 for Four Classical Music Concerts
This Small Grants award will assist with the cost of a planned series of concerts, including artists' fees and piano hire. The upcoming programme will include:

• Dublin-born pianist John O'Conor
• The Fidelio Trio, joined by Cillian Vallely on the uilleann pipes
• Ashley Wass, pianist and Richard Pierce, lecturer
• Mezzo-soprano Carolyn Dobbin with pianist Ruth McGinley

Mid-Armagh Community Network, awarded £8,000 for a Music, Dance and Drama Programme (Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon)
Mid Armagh Community Network (MACN) is planning a community based project to teach music, dance and drama within an Ulster Scots context in a safe and central location. The project will see the development of a program of low cost lessons in Scottish traditional fiddle, Scottish Highland and theatre dance, drama, accordion and community choir and encourage participation in these traditional artforms.

North Down Community Network (NDNC), awarded £1,769 for Inert Structure to Kinetic Form
This ten-week sculpture project will use shape, form and movement as a way of exploring emergence from the Covid 19 pandemic. A journey from the stillness of constructivist sculpture to the motion of Kinetic Art via optical illusion and Calder’s mobiles. The artworks created through the programme will be displayed in NDCN's Wellbeing Centre in Bangor and then retained by participants. The collaborative artwork will be placed on permanent display in North Down Community Network’s Wellbeing Centre.

Patrician Youth Centre, awarded £10,000 for Bringing The Arts to the Heart of Down - Restart completed!
Patrician Youth Theatre has, over the past year, restarted work with their membership delivering all artform activities face to face again, engaging children and young people through weekly rehearsal and workshop sessions, plus live performances in May and June 2022. In September, the group will build on this work and embark on a new term delivering across the age bands and working on a new series of productions. Planned work will include a pantomime and a musical showcase.

Harmony Community Trust, awarded £4,301, to create and develop a mixed media installation (Newry, Mourne and Down)
This project will see the development and creation of a mixed media installation to include four panels or banners. Each will be inspired by the work of four local community groups in Down and Ards. They are: The Glebe House Knitwits from the Lecale area, East End Ladies group from Newtownards, Ballykinlar Forever Young Group and Hilltown Kosy club, The project will involve a range of art techniques and materials, highlighting their local communities, history, customs, traditions and peculiarities. They will also reflect the participants personal experiences and reminiscences. The project will conclude with a celebration event at Glebe House for all participants, with a display of the work and the exhibition of finished panels/ banners at Down Arts Centre, Newtownards Arts Centre, Glebe House and at the centres of participating groups.

Funding from the Small Grants Programme is awarded to organisations by the Arts Council on a monthly basis. Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/small-grants-programme

Arts Council opens £40,000 Individual Artists Digital Evolution Awards programme

Tuesday 30th August 2022 at 4pm 0 Comments

The Individual Artists Digital Evolution Awards, worth £40,000, from The National Lottery, offers individuals the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £10,000 and is open to artists across all art forms.

The Individual Artists Digital Evolution Awards aims to support those artists who are making digital art for the first time or are working with digital or immersive technology which they have not used previously. Collaborative applications from individual artists working together in cross-discipline projects and activities are also encouraged. Examples of the types of project that this scheme will support includes:

• Creation of a virtual environment or augmented reality environment; such as augmented reality visual arts or sound overlay on venues or geographical spaces
• Using technology, such as 3D rendering and printing, to create artwork digitally which can either exist digitally or be manufactured into 3D physical objects
• Using technology to translate data into artistic content; for example algorithms that create music or visual content from data input
• App development for the delivery of artistic content; this could include gamification or making an artistic experience for consumption on digital devices (note: this does not include streaming of filmed/recorded performances).

Karly Greene, Director of Strategic Development & Partnerships, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“Today’s announcement is welcome news. The programme will support artists in the creation of art using digital and immersive technologies, and will also help artists develop skills in the use of these new technologies. This programme reflects the Arts Council’s commitment to encouraging innovative practices that cross art form boundaries and build digital capabilities within the Northern Ireland arts sector.”

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the Arts Council’s Creative Industries Officer Matthew Malcolm at mmalcolm@artscouncil-ni.org if they wish to discuss eligibility of their project concepts.

The Individual Artists Digital Evolution Awards scheme is open for online applications from Tuesday 30 August 2022 and will close on Friday 30 September 2022, for grants up to a maximum of £10,000. Decisions are expected by Friday 18 November 2022. For further information on eligibility, guidance notes and to apply visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/individual-artists-digital-evolution-awards. Please note guidance notes are also available on request in large print format and disk.

Winner of the 12th Glenarm Festival of Voice is announced

Tuesday 30th August 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

The annual vocal competition is a highlight of the Festival and on Sunday evening, five opera singers chosen from applicants from across the island of Ireland competed for the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize and to become the NI Opera Young Opera Voice of 2022.

These singers spent three days working with top opera coaches, Kathryn Harries, Dr Ingrid Surgenor and pianist Simon Lepper, preparing arias, Irish songs and ensemble pieces for the Competition Finale which were then performed in front of a live audience and judging panel in a concert hosted by NI Opera’s patron, broadcaster Sean Rafferty.

The winner of the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize and the NI Opera Young Opera Voice of 2022 is County Tyrone tenor Owen Lucas, who was also voted the winner of the Audience Prize, sponsored by The Londonderry Arms, Carnlough.

The winner of the Song Prize, sponsored by The Priests Charitable Trust, is County Louth Soprano Hannah O’Brien.

Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle, Vice Chair of NI Opera and member of the judging panel comments:

'The music making in Glenarm this weekend has been superlative. Five of this island's most promising young opera voices have had the opportunity to work with several of the top coaches in the opera world, and hear BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists in recital. NI Opera's commitment to nurturing this talent is as strong in the festival's twelfth year as ever. We look forward to our return in 2023.’

NI Opera is grateful for the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Esmé Mitchell Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Glenarm Castle, The Priests Charitable Trust and The Londonderry Arms.

YouthAction NI dazzles audiences with performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Tuesday 23rd August 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

YouthAction NI has been operating for 75 years, inspiring young people here to find their true potential and excel in areas such as political activism, performing arts, youth work, education, business, technology and international affairs. They work with disadvantaged, excluded young people to improve their life chances by helping ensure their voices are heard, respected and valued.

Maire Campbell, Artistic Director, Youth Action NI, said,

“Here at The Rainbow Factory we use performing arts to really help young people thrive, be themselves, gain confidence and contribute to society. Thanks to the support from the National Lottery players, we can keep access to drama, dance and theatre really affordable for our young people at a difficult time. We really appreciate it.”

Liam Hannaway, Chair, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is hugely proud to support YouthAction NI thanks to the National Lottery players and I was delighted to attend The Rainbow Factory School of Performing Arts’ latest production, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

“YouthAction NI makes high-quality arts accessible to young people and we know that participation in the arts inspires us and has tremendous, positive impacts on our mental health and wellbeing. Through the performing arts training provided by YouthAction NI, these impressive young people are gaining confidence, improving their wellbeing and learning transferable skills to carry with them throughout their lives. Congratulations to everyone involved!”

Those interested in joining classes at The Rainbow Factory in September should contact vrf@youthaction.org

For more information of the work of Youth Action visit www.youthaction.org

The Wrinkly Rappers Showcase Two Original Songs at Newington Day Centre

Monday 22nd August 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

Paul Kane, Project Manager and Music and Older People’s Manager at Oh Yeah has become a very familiar face at Newington Day Centre, having held many previous workshops and live music events for the ‘cared for’. Paul said,

‘‘We had clear goals to create new music but we also listened to what direction we should be taking things from people directly involved. We worked closely with Chip Bailey, musician and producer, and created two fabulous songs which reflect the diversity and creativity of these talented women’’.

A listening party which took place on 16th August at Newington allowed these women to come together and celebrate the music that they had created. The Wrinkly Rappers sat down for a quick catch-up up while project co-ordinators Paul Kane and Chip Bailey set up the equipment to provide an audio-visual presentation which allowed the ladies to reminisce and reflect on each step of the project. This included drum workshops, local music history, song deconstruction as well as song writing. The women unanimously agreed that the weekly workshops gave them all something special to look forward to and helped to take away the stresses of everyday life.

Margaret McCrudden, Manager at Newington said;

‘‘These type of projects are welcome at the centre as they challenge Carers to step out of their comfort zone and introduce them to new skills. Whilst learning new skills they bonded as a group supporting each other and remaining friends.’’

After the ladies listened to and discussed sound clips from each aspect of the songwriting process, the mastered tracks for Technology and Forced Exodus which were recorded in Start Together Studio in the Oh Yeah Music Centre were played. The Wrinkly Rappers quietly sang along as they proudly listened to the music they had created. One of the women commented how it was ‘‘like a miracle’’ how the songs had come into existence over the course of the project.

A final discussion from the Wrinkly Rappers and the staff at Newington Day Centre sparked from listening to the song Technology, a rebellious yet comical rap about refusing technological advancements. It was strongly felt by the women at Newington that although recently popularised software such as Zoom has its benefits, interactive and creative face-to-face collaboration is desperately needed in the current post-lockdown climate.

As Paul and Chip were packing their equipment away, Wrinkly Rapper Jean handed them a heartfelt handwritten ‘thank you’ card with a ten pound note inside so they could treat themselves to a couple of pints.

Keep on the Sunnyside was a very exciting and unique 16 week long project managed by Oh Yeah Music Centre and funded by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Public Health Agency and the Baring Foundation.

Lorraine Calderwood, Arts Programmes Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“We know that taking part in arts activities can raise self-esteem, boost confidence and motivation, as well as help to relieve stress, loneliness worries and pain. The Arts and Older People Programme aims to increase opportunities for older people to engage in the arts and more recently, has focused on delivering arts activity within care home settings, working with residents living with dementia and their carers.”

There was an amazing enthusiasm and energy from the participants and once the door to creativity was opened ideas flowed which shaped the nature of these songs.

Charlotte Dryden, CEO of Oh Yeah, said

‘‘It never ceases to amaze me what comes out of these creative sessions with our older participants. They have life experience and a view on the world that is incredibly powerful at times. The songs that came out of this project have reflected some of the current issues that so many of us have been trying to process. ’’

Original tracks Technology and Forced Exodus by The Wrinkly Rappers are available to listen to now on Soundcloud - https://on.soundcloud.com/WYXz

Statement – Arts Council of Northern Ireland

Tuesday 16th August 2022 at 6pm 0 Comments

In relation to questions received about an element of programming within this year’s festival, the Arts Council condemns sectarian behaviour in any form. We will discuss the issues raised directly with Féile an Phobail in light of the commitment to good relations we ask of all our funded clients.

Camerata Ireland presents the 2022 Clandeboye Festival from 20-27 August

Thursday 11th August 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

Camerata Ireland is proud to present the 2022 Clandeboye Festival, which will take place from Saturday 20th to Saturday 27th August in the historic surroundings of the Clandeboye Estate, Bangor. Over 13 concerts, the Festival will showcase the very best of well-loved music by Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and more, with performances from world-class musicians, including regular artists Michael d'Arcy and Elina Vähälä (violin), Ed Creedon (viola), Henri Demarquette cello), Ailish Tynan (soprano), Michel Lethiec (clarinet), Richard Watkins (horn), Eimear McGeown (flute), Justine Gormley (piano), and all-Ireland orchestra Camerata Ireland, along with many special guests.

The Festival’s Artistic Director, Barry Douglas, notes, ‘After 2 years of the drama and tragedy of Covid, we are now in renewal mode and that is why the theme this year is “Renewal and Renaissance”. This will be a special and important occasion, packed with great music and great artists.’

Central to the ethos of Camerata Ireland is the nurturing and support of young musicians from across this island, and an important part of the Clandeboye Festival each year is the Camerata Ireland Academy, in which talented young musicians from all over the island take part in masterclasses with the visiting artists. While masterclasses continue to be online this year, the 2022 Festival will showcase several young musicians who took part in the Academy in 2021, including oboist Ben Gannon, pianist Stan O’Beirne, and Sam Kane, violinist and former leader of the Ulster Youth Orchestra from Co. Armagh.

Douglas adds, ‘for so many of our young artists, the Academy has been a springboard for successful professional careers. It gives me great pleasure to invite these musicians back to Clandeboye to perform as professionals in their own right - this year, for example, we have the fantastic young pianist Justine Gormley from Belfast performing in 6 concerts!’

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland notes, “Camerata Ireland’s commitment to developing musicians and musicianship across the island of Ireland, through the Camerata Ireland Academy, ensures that the Clandeboye Festival remains one of the principal showcases for some of our most exciting emerging young talent. As principal funder, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud of our long association with Camerata Ireland and with this very special celebration of chamber music, in the intimate surroundings of the Clandeboye Estate.”

All concerts will take place in The Courtyard, Clandeboye Estate, Bangor BT19 1RN. Free parking is available at Clandeboye Estate, and lunch is available to purchase from 12-2pm each day. The bar will be open for evening performances. Tickets are available to purchase from the Grand Opera House box office, www.goh.co.uk

Young musicians encouraged to join Jazz Juniors improvisation workshops

Tuesday 9th August 2022 at 2pm 0 Comments

Jazzlife Alliance’s Jazz Juniors, now in its second year, is recruiting for a second ensemble and this month will be hosting four jazz improvisation workshops with David Lyttle in Draperstown, Enniskillen, Belfast and Newry. Young musicians of all ages and musical abilities are encouraged to come along, try out improvisation and consider applying for Jazz Juniors. Participation is totally free and is open to all musicians under 18 who should bring their own instruments.

David Lyttle commented, “I’m very grateful to be part of Jazz Juniors and to see so much support and positivity around it. Our current nine students have so much potential and we are excited to welcome more young people to the scheme in September.”

The Jazz Juniors ensemble rehearse with David Lyttle once a month at The MAC in Belfast and they also perform in concerts as David’s support act. The opportunity is open to all levels of musical ability, including total beginners to jazz. The main requirement of the scheme is that participants are very serious about music, very passionate about music and interested in learning jazz.

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said,

“Thanks to National Lottery players, young people are being given the opportunity to learn new skills and jazz from an internationally acclaimed jazz musician. The Arts Council is committed to supporting opportunities for our young people to access and participate in high quality music making and Jazz Juniors is the perfect platform to nurture and develop gifted young musicians.”

Jazz improvisation workshops will take place at:

• Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen—August 20, 11:30 am
• Newry Town Hall, Newry—August 20, 4 pm
• The MAC, Belfast—August 21, noon
• Glasgowbury, Draperstown—August 21, 4 pm

More information is available at www.jazzlifealliance.org and places can reserved by contacting join@jazzlifealliance.org

Belfast International Arts Festival reveals 60th Autumn Programme

Tuesday 9th August 2022 at 2pm 0 Comments

From October 5 to November 6, over 320 imaginative, inspiring and intriguing events spanning across the artistic disciplines of music, theatre, dance, film, visual arts and discussion will be hosted throughout the city of Belfast for all to engage with and enjoy.

The autumn programme follows an earlier-than-usual festival opening in April 2022, when BIAF celebrated the beginning of its anniversary year with a major free event; the spectacular outdoor production Cristal Palace by French company Transe Express, featuring a local community cast.

The festival’s autumn season opens on 5 October with the UK premiere of Dinner With Groucho, a new play by renowned Irish writer Frank McGuinness. Produced by b*spoke theatre company, the performance promises blistering wit, brilliant buffoonery, and reflections on the ephemeral nature of life from the award-winning writer of such iconic plays as Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me and The Factory Girls.

At the heart of this year’s programme is a special focus on Canada and the Middle East and North Africa. Canadian events include Vivek Shraya’s How to Fail as a Popstar, a reflection on the power of pop culture, dreams, disappointment and self-determination; the European premiere of The Queen and Me, an exuberant new opera involving comedy and drama from Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野 (they/them) exploring the many ways that race, gender, and sexuality are policed in the opera industry, and closing the festival, the critically acclaimed Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools bringing together two extraordinary artists to examine their intertwined histories, colonial legacies and the changing climate we all face.

A special focus on new contemporary works from the Middle East and North Africa is among projects supported by the British Council, BIAF’s Principal International Partner, and features Another Lover’s Discourse ليه خلتني احبك, a newly commissioned work from Palestinian interdisciplinary artist, Riham Isaac plus new stage works from Egyptian choreographer, Shaymaa Shoukry and Moroccan live performance and visual artist, Youness Atbane, as well as a concert featuring recently arrived refugees from across the Middle East. Additionally, BIAF will host delegations of artists and programmers from the Middle East and India who will have the opportunity to see the work of local artists at first hand. In particular, there will be an exchange of delegations between BIAF and Cairo’s D-CAF (Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival) with Belfast welcoming D-CAF’s Director, Ahmed El Attar in October with an opportunity for local audiences to hear him speak about the current contemporary arts scene in Egypt and the Arab world.

Fans of traditional Irish music will be delighted as Martin Hayes, one of the world’s most celebrated fiddlers and an influential figure in the genre, brings his latest project, The Common Ground Ensemble, to the Grand Opera House on Tuesday 25th October. The following night, hit-maker Paul Carrack takes to the stage.

The BIAF22 Talks & Ideas strand brings together international and local names to explore thought-provoking topics including state violence, freedom of speech and movement, culture, society, impermanence and the creative possibilities opened up by our digital world. As part of the festival’s long-standing partnership with Institut Français, two of France’s most original and acclaimed novelists, GauZ’ and David Foenkinos, will join a free digital event to discuss their latest works, while the Black Box will play host to one of the finest and funniest chroniclers of modern England, Jonathan Coe, as he reads from and discusses his new novel, Bournville.

Belfast International Arts Festival’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director Richard Wakely says the 60th edition is an opportunity to take stock and set out a vision for its future.

“60 years is a momentous occasion, and we pause to reflect on the artistic talent and creative commissions that have seen Belfast International Arts Festival reach this significant milestone, our diamond anniversary. This year’s festival is however determinately future-facing, underscored by creative collaboration and a truly international programme that reflects our core values; global connectivity, community, access and participation, and contemporary arts practice. The festival has evolved much over the past six decades, and it continues to do so with this year’s programme demonstrating the unique ability of artists to respond to the changing world around us.

“From homegrown talent and platforms such as our Artist in Residence and new Featured Artist programmes to significant bodies of work from Canada, Europe and the Middle East and North Africa, our festival this year reflects the vital role we play in the very fabric of Belfast and its contribution to the city’s growing status and appeal as a major cultural capital.”

Complementary to its long running Artist in Residence programme, this year’s festival includes a new strand of programming, the Featured Artist, which takes a more in depth look at the work of a leading artist or ensemble. The first Featured Artist is the young rising star of French and European dance, Noé Soulier whose works are showcased live and online.

Also storming a trail in Europe is leading NI dancemaker Oona Doherty's largest project to date - Navy Blue, which makes its homecoming appearance 25-26 Oct. Among other featured home-grown talent is double Ivor Novello-nominated composer Conor Mitchell's Propaganda: A New Musical, playing at the Lyric Theatre, The Ghost House by Cahoots building on the sell-out success of last year’s Grimm Hotel, and an adaptation of Owen Booth’s Frankenstein’s Monster Is Drunk And The Sheep Have All Jumped The Fences by Big Telly Theatre.

In the spirit of collaboration, BIAF welcomes old and new partners with the longstanding Belfast Music Society’s Northern Lights Mini-Fest and the popular free BBC Radio 3 concert series; Belfast Harbour is once again sponsoring the community ticketing scheme; and a new collaboration with Design & Crafts Council Ireland, Craft NI, and National Museums NI brings the outdoor exhibition Irish Craft Heroes to Botanic Gardens, which highlights 50 years of craft making and makers across the island.

Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“The Arts Council, as long-time principal funder, is proud to support Northern Ireland’s flagship festival of contemporary international arts. We endorse it, not just as a showcase and meeting place of new ideas and new creativity, but for its desire to open up this inspiring world and share it with everyone - to expand the audience for contemporary arts through community ticketing incentives and free and low-cost events, so that everyone is encouraged to embrace this very special anniversary festival. Happy 60th anniversary!”

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Christina Black, said,

“Belfast City Council has been a longstanding supporter of Belfast International Arts Festival and we are delighted to support the festival’s 60th edition: the autumn programme - a key highlight in Belfast's cultural calendar.

“The festival has earned a reputation as a progressive, contemporary, global arts event that contributes to Belfast’s profile and reputation as a vibrant cultural city. With civic engagement at its heart, it brings our community together, but it also connects our city with new audiences afar, showcasing our rich local talent and highlighting our UNESCO status.

“I am very much looking forward to enjoying the range of activities on offer during this special anniversary year.”

Tourism NI’s Chief Executive, John McGrillen, commented,

“This year marks the 60th Belfast International Arts Festival, which we are delighted to support. Events and festivals contribute greatly to the positive perception and profile of Northern Ireland, and are recognised as crucial economic drivers. I wish the organisers, sponsors, participants, and attendees the best of luck for an exciting event."

Jonathan Stewart, Director British Council Northern Ireland, said,

“At the British Council we have a long history with Belfast International Arts Festival and have been a partner since its inception in 1962. It’s therefore immensely rewarding for us to see in this 60th anniversary year that international connections and relationships continue to grow.

“In 2022, we are welcoming artists and arts organisations from across the Middle East and North Africa to Northern Ireland and look forward to sharing exceptional performance art from the region with local audiences. In addition, we’re supporting new connections between Northern Ireland and the Caribbean, with the festival linking to Bocas Lit Fest in Trinidad and Tobago.

“The festival is a vital part of Northern Ireland’s cultural calendar and does an incredible amount of work for our arts sector, and we wish them every success in this significant milestone year.”

For more information about BIAF22, including ticket deals, visit belfastinternationalartsfestival.com.

EastSide Arts Festival Celebrates its 10th Birthday!

Tuesday 9th August 2022 at 11am 0 Comments

Packed full of unique, exciting events, festival goers still have plenty to look forward as festival continues through to August 14th with music, theatre, film, literature, walks, talks, tours, comedy, cabaret and family focused events.

This year’s festival features over 100 artists across more than 80 events taking place in a range of venues in east Belfast including: Strand Arts Centre, Vault Artist Studios, The Ballyhackamore Social Club, Banana Block (Portview Trade Centre), C.S. Lewis Square and many more.

The EastSide Arts Festival is supported by Principal Funder, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, funders Belfast City Council, National Lottery Awards for All and Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, Principal Sponsor Translink, sponsors Connswater and Hewitt & Gilpin.

Highlights still to come:

• Gerald Dawe in conversation with Anthony Tony, 9th August, Banana Block, Portview Trade Centre. Music is a strong thread that runs through the life of the poet Gerald Dawe and was an integral part of his early inspiration. In this fascinating and insightful conversation with songwriter Anthony Toner, the celebrated poet and essayist will discuss the music and influences that forged his awakening as a poet, and his life as a writer. The event will start - and close - with a specially compiled playlist, during which audience members will have a chance to meet the author.


• David Hull Promotions Presents Cash Returns - The Johnny Cash & June Carter Tribute Show, Thursday 11th August, C.S. Lewis Square. Cash Returns will kick off the series of ‘Live @ C.S. Lewis Square’ events in style. JP Mac (Johnny Cash) and Karen Martin (June Carter) have been hailed as the most exciting Johnny Cash & June Carter Tribute in the UK, Ireland and beyond. This is an event not to be missed by Man In Black fans.


• Dig with It magazine presents… New Pagans, Lemonade Shoelace and Winnie Ama Friday 12th August, C.S. Lewis Square. New Pagans, Lemonade Shoelace and Winnie Ama represent some of the most inspiring, alternative voices from the local music scene. They are brought together for this special ’Live @ C.S. Lewis Square’ event by Dig With It, a quarterly magazine from Belfast that champions music, arts and counter-culture.


• Maurice Jay’s Pleasuredome, Sunday 14th August, C.S. Lewis Square. The Ultimate 80's Party night - pure 80's musical heaven closes the festival. This is a party you will not want to miss!


• The Van Morrison Song Book, Sunday 14th August, Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich. Four unique song-writing talents unite to offer their take on one of Belfast’s most iconic musicians. Performing inspired versions of Van Morrison classics in this one-off event (in association with EastSide Arts Festival) are Matt McGinn, Anthony Toner, Ken Haddock and Grainne Holland (who will deliver her versions in Irish). This promises to be a memorable night.

Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented:

“Thanks to National Lottery players and money raised for Good Causes, the Arts Council is proud to continue to support the work of Eastside Arts and this year’s wonderful festival programme. For 10 years, Eastside Arts Festival has worked hard to raise the profile of the arts and artists in the area, with creativity now at the forefront of driving the wider regeneration of East Belfast. This year’s festival programme continues that work, with a fantastic mix of events to suit all ages and interests to look forward to in the week ahead.”

Director of the EastSide Arts Festival, Rachel Kennedy added:

“We are delighted to invite everyone to join us as at this year’s EastSide Arts Festival as we celebrate our 10th birthday. As always, we are bringing festival goers a jam-packed programme of events that celebrate the people and places of east Belfast and encourage connection and celebration. The festival provides us with the opportunity to showcase the very best of east Belfast as a place of creativity, a place that is vibrant and a place that is welcoming. A huge thanks to our Principal Funder, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Principal Sponsor, Translink for their invaluable support, and the vital support of all of the festival funders and sponsors who have helped the festival reach this incredible landmark.”

For the full festival programme and ticket information visit www.eastsidearts.net. Follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram #ESAFest22.

Young podcasters from GSCA visit BBC Radio Ulster to chat about their mental health podcast

Wednesday 3rd August 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

The podcast is designed and produced by young people in the city and was established in response to the declining mental health of their peers, with the aim of promoting positive mental health and wellbeing. Some of the podcast creators recently had the opportunity to visit BBC Radio Foyle to be interviewed by local media star, Marie-Louise Muir, about their podcast for her show, The Culture Café.

Spill the Tae was launched alongside a Mental Health Youth Forum with Ted Talk style conferences, events and lobbying activity for better support for mental health for young people. Within the podcast series, the young people have explored various topics including, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, muscular dystrophy and talked to young people from the city who are living with these conditions and how these affect their mental health.

They also interviewed the popular local social media star, Mammy Banter, about steps to wellbeing for young people, and interviewed circus performer, Gwyneth Doherty, about diet, exercise and healthy living. The podcast has also explored discussions around aromatherapy, the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol, and also the pros and cons of social media.

Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is so proud of these articulate young people who have created and produced Spill the Tae, thanks to The National Lottery Players. Their fearless approach and dedication to producing an honest, brave and empathetic podcast series, with the aim of helping others, is something to be deeply appreciated and celebrated.”

Gilly continued, “Through this project these young people are gaining valuable and impressive skills in communication, media technology and production. We are thrilled that they got the opportunity to visit BBC Radio Foyle and be featured on BBC Radio Ulster’s The Culture Café, an inspiring experience I’m sure that will stay with them for a long time to come. We wish Greater Shantallow Community Arts and all the young people involved in the podcast series continued success.”

You can catch up on all episodes of the first series of the Spill the Tae podcast at Spill the Tae youth led Podcast | Podcast on Spotify and Spill the Tae youth led Podcast on Apple Podcasts and watch this space for details on the upcoming series two.

VIDEO: Watch the video with the young podcasters here https://youtu.be/k0s4GOLJDL0

RADIO INTERVIEW: You can listen to the interview on BBC Radio Ulster’s The Culture Café at The Culture Cafe - Spilling the Tae - BBC Sounds (please go 35:40 minutes in to listen to the interview)

Arts Council £51,000 awarded to fund community projects

Friday 29th July 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

Supported through National Lottery funds, the Small Grants Programme is designed to encourage organisations in Northern Ireland to get more people to engage with the arts through creative, community-based projects. Grants are awarded by the Arts Council on a monthly basis and organisations can apply for up to £10,000 to support projects in any art form, including music, drama, dance, literature, visual, and participatory arts.

One of the organisations awarded funding is St Colmbs Park House in Derry/Londonderry. The award of £7,310 will support an Artists in Residence scheme. Artists Gemma Walker-Farren and Sorcha Shanahan, who together perform as the MakeyUppers, will be artists in residence at St Columb’s Park for 12 months (August 2022-July 2023). During that time they will help to deliver four key events and engage in a range of outreach activities.

Sharon Doherty, Manager of St Colmbs Park House, commented:

“St Columbs Park House are delighted to welcome the Makey Uppers as our first Artists in Residence. This opportunity supported by the Arts Council for Northern Ireland allows us to connect our communities to their shared green spaces and natural environment in a creative and innovative way. We are very excited to work with the Makey Uppers and to present bespoke performances that link the arts, peace building and diverse communities in our shared space”.

Commenting on funding programme, Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:

“This month we have awarded funding through our Small Grants programme to support nine fantastic projects, creating more opportunities for people to engage with the arts, from grassroots level projects through to professional productions. Thanks to National Lottery players and the money raised for good causes, this valuable funding programme will support a variety of high quality arts projects in locations across Northern Ireland, including performances, workshops and mentoring opportunities.”

In JULY Small Grants Awards were awarded to:

The St Anne’s Trust, awarded £4,000, for their project Education through Music
The St Anne’s Trust are planning a range of activities over the next year. These include a Come & Play day in May 2023 with special needs schools. The Choir of the Year Competition will also take place involving 450 school children and the Trust is also hoping to expand its outreach activities and build on the positive work that has taken place through its Annual Carolfest. Plans are also in place to undertake additional activities with local primary schools and through a scholarship scheme to provide young people with an opportunity to develop their musical and performance skills, regardless of their social, cultural or religious background.

Armagh Old Boys Band, awarded £8,400, for their project Foddens in Armagh
Armagh Old Boys Brass Band Summer School will return in August for a week long music programme with tutors from Fodens, one of the finest brass bands in the world. Two bands will be formed based on experience to rehearse a repertoire of varying levels of music and challenged to create a concert programme which will be performed at the end of the summer school week. The week will consist of band rehearsals, sectional practices and finale concert. Armagh Old Boys will also host a gala weekend of brass band music with the Fodens Band in September. This will involve soloist workshop performances with the Fodens Band open to all participants from across Northern Ireland and Ireland allowing tips and best practice to be shared among everyone.

iBbY Ireland, awarded £3,730, for the Leabhair Go Leor! Conference
The Leabhair Go Leor! Conference will be a day of lectures, discussions, and workshops facilitated by leading writers, illustrators, translators, and editors of children’s books in Irish, delivered in Irish and English, to be inclusive and attractive to parents, educators, library staff and community leaders and anyone else working with and supporting children speaking or learning Irish. The majority of the artists and facilitators involved in the day are from Northern Ireland. All are leading practitioners in their fields. Included among the speakers is the CEO of An tSnáthaid Mhór, a Northern Ireland publisher leading the way in producing award winning children’s books in Irish. The day will finish with a presentation by Áine Ní Ghlinn, current Laureate na nÓg.

St Columbs Park Reconciliation Trust, awarded £7,310 for their Art in the Park – Artists in Residence programme
St Colm’s Park Reconciliation Trust plan to engage artists Gemma Walker-Farren and Sorcha Shanahan, who together perform as the MakeyUppers, as artists in residence at St Columb’s Park for 12 months (August 2022-July 2023). During this time, the MakeyUppers will design and deliver four key events relating to the seasons/nature in order to engage people of all ages and abilities in ‘Art in the Park’.

Focus, awarded £5,446 for Omagh Goove and Samba
Focus will create a community music programme that will target young people living with disabilities, members of the BAME communities, young people in local primary and secondary schools and the wider community. The project will see the creation of a samba band, masterclasses with professional musicians, mentoring sessions and a Grand Concert Finale for the local community to attend.

Bready and District Ulster Scots Development Association, awarded £7,390 for Scot Dance NI Jubilee Celebration
Working in six groups, choreographers will mentor dancers to help develop their skills during training sessions in August and September for the Scot Dance NI Jubilee Celebration. Each of the six sections will then be performed and filmed in a different county in Northern Ireland. It is hoped that the final filming day would take place at Royal Hillsborough, where the dance can be performed in its entirety.

South Bank Playhouse, awarded £5,000 for Billy Boy
South Bank Playhouse has been awarded funding to stage Rosemary Jenkinson’s Billy Boy, about young bonfire builders in East Belfast. The solo show will be performed by John Travers (15 years of experience touring theatre productions with Tinderbox, C21, Brassneck and Replay etc). The funny, moving and thought-provoking production is based on interviews with bonfire builders and challenges negative perceptions of young people involved in bonfire building in East Belfast. The show will be performed at EastSide Arts Festival (in The Vault) and Feile an Phobail in West Belfast (An Culturlann), before travelling to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Vault Artists Studios, awarded £8,250 for its Summer Festival in a Day
Building on the success of Vault Fringe (2019), (C)Art Park (2020), and Car Park Sessions (2021), Vault Artists Studio will hold a one day festival at Vault Artist Studios (VAS) in August 2022. This event will transform VAS into an exciting festival hub, showcasing the performance, visual art and creative skills of its 130 members, in celebration of Belfast art. Studios will become performance and workshop spaces, larger rooms will become stages for music, theatre and circus, and corners of the building will be used in new and inventive ways.

Londonderry YMCA Ltd, awarded £1,950 for The Art Demo project
The Art DEMO project will provide the opportunity for approximately 90 young people, aged 5-18, the chance to develop their creative flair and imagination through music, graffiti, and art workshops. The project will engage young people from areas of social and economic deprivation and rural communities, who have had limited opportunities to engage in the arts. The Art DEMO project will improve young people's personal capabilities, improve thinking skills and enhance their confidence and self-esteem working to bring change through learning and creativity.

Funding from the Small Grants Programme is awarded to organisations by the Arts Council on a monthly basis. Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/small-grants-programme

Carnival of Colours hits the city!

Friday 29th July 2022 at 11am 0 Comments

The Mayor joined performers and youth circus artists to help launch the event, which will be taking over Derry’s stunning City Centre on the 6th and 7th August. The programme for the weekend will be jam-packed with circus-themed treats featuring the very best of International Street Theatre, IYSC’s own walkabout characters and performances, circus workshops, arts and crafts, graffiti arts demos, an exciting programme of music from the Nerve Centre, and much more!

The headline shows will include acrobatics, juggling, clowning, comedy, physical theatre and some crazy dance moves thrown in for good measure! Acts will include TeaTime Company, Granny Turismo, Frankie Magilligan and Cikada Circus. Incredible local artists will also be showcasing their talents and bringing a weekend of pure joy to the people of the North-West and visitors to the City!

The Festival will be taking place between the Guildhall Square, Waterloo Place, Foyle Embankment and the Peace Garden. Carnival of Colours attracts people of all ages from right across the Derry-Londonderry area and visitors to the city; it brings people together from all walks of life for a shared cultural experience. It also highlights Derry City as an exciting, beautiful and progressive destination for events and arts activity.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, said:

“It’s great to see the Carnival of Colours back for another year and taking over the city centre with all of the fabulous vibrancy, comedy and entertainment that it always offers. The programme looks amazing, and with lots of characters and acts to see there will be plenty to make you laugh, and plenty to thrill you as well with some circus skills. I’d encourage everyone to check out the programme and get yourselves up to the city centre on August 6th and 7th - you never know what you might see! Well done to In Your Space Circus and everyone involved in the delivery of this fantastic event.”

The Festival is supported by Derry City and Strabane District Council, Tourism NI, and The Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Local businesses including All State NI, First Source, Learning Pool, Guapo and Storefront are also supporting the event, which has been a massive help in 2022. In addition a number of local cafes and restaurants are generously feeding and watering our artists and volunteers!

Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to support In Your Space Circus’s, Carnival of Colours, thanks to The National Lottery players. This thrilling festival spreads amazement and joy across the city of Derry-Londonderry every year and once again the team there has curated a fabulously fun programme with something to suit all tastes, from the very young, to the very young at heart! I would encourage everyone to get outdoors this August and enjoy everything that this terrific celebration of circus has to offer.”

IYSC brought the event to the City Centre in 2021, having historically taken place in St Columb’s Park. The relocation was a huge success and we are delighted to be delivering it from the central location again this year. It’s a fantastic event for audiences and artists alike, allowing local talent to experiment and receive payment for showcasing their fantastic create skills.

Carnival of Colours is a showcase and celebration of In Your Space Circus’s year-round work including the Circus School and its street theatre and performance work delivered across Northern Ireland.

Cath McBride, IYSC’s Company Director said:

“We are thrilled to be back in the City Centre again in 2022. We have so greatly appreciated the support of our funders and the general public in welcoming our work to take over the City. We aim to ensure that the 2022 Carnival of Colours is a celebration of the city, of our artists and participants, of circus, and of our wonderful audiences. We are confident that there is something in the programme for everyone and that it will give families a fabulous opportunity to spend some quality time together!”

For the full Carnival of Colours programme visit: www.inyourspaceni.org/carnival

Cultural Bridge announces new 2023 - 2024 programme of funding for organisations

Wednesday 27th July 2022 at 8am 0 Comments

Cultural Bridge celebrates bilateral partnerships between the UK and Germany through the collaboration between Arts Council England, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, British Council, Creative Scotland, Fonds Soziokultur, Goethe-Institut London and Wales Arts International / Arts Council of Wales.

By funding partnerships between Germany and the UK, the programme aims to build new relationships and foster artistic collaboration and cultural democracy.

In 2021, Cultural Bridge launched its pilot programme supporting seven new collaborations between organisations across the UK and Germany to initiate projects exploring socially engaged practice through intercultural exchange and dialogue. Find out more.

Cultural Bridge will be inviting applications for its 2023-2024 programme from 14th September - 26th October 2022. This is an opportunity for organisations based in the UK and Germany who embody cultural democracy and wish to forge or develop bilateral partnerships to work together and share artistic practice.

Guidance for the Cultural Bridge 2023 - 2024 programme is available now and we encourage organisations to start to develop their collaboration and project proposals ahead of the application window.

There will also be two information and match-making sessions on 6th and 8th September for organisations seeking support in finding a potential Cultural Bridge partner.

Find out more at cultural-bridge.info

Applications for funding for individual artists now open

Wednesday 20th July 2022 at 3pm 0 Comments

While artists may apply to more than one scheme, only one grant will be awarded in any one funding round. Separate application forms must be submitted for each scheme and the projects within each application must be significantly different.

For details of how to apply, eligibility and how much funding you can request under each scheme, please check the individual guidance notes. Links are included below.

Support for Individual Artists Programme
The aim of the overall Support for Individual Artists Programme (SIAP) is to support artists across all disciplines to create work and develop their practice. Broadly, awards can be for specific projects, specialised research or personal artistic development.

Open Now

• General Arts Awards
  General Art Awards can be for specific projects, specialised research, personal artistic development and certain materials/ equipment.
• Artists Career Enhancement Scheme (ACES)
  These awards aim to deepen the developmental impact of Arts Council’s support for artists, with a targeted package of training, mentoring and support provided for successful applicants. Funding is aimed at career artists whose practice is of high quality, original, challenging and innovative. The awards are designed to support artists in their professional development, enabling successful applicants to raise their profile and significantly enhance their career.
• Artists International Development Fund (AIDF)
  The Artists’ International Development Fund is an annual programme jointly funded by the British Council and Arts Council of Northern Ireland and is open to individual artists and organisations. The programme will support early stage international development opportunities for individual, freelance and self-employed artists and organisations based in Northern Ireland.

Application deadline: Tuesday 30th August 2022 at 12pm

For guidance notes and applications visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/SIAP

SIAP Minority Ethnic Residency & Mentoring Programme
Open Now
In working to create the conditions for the widest variety of art and creativity for both artists and audiences through our Support for the Individual Artist Programme, the Arts Council is seeking to address the numerous and complex barriers to access, progression and representation in the arts encountered by minority ethnic artists with this mentoring and residency scheme. Through this programme the Arts Council wishes to create opportunities for specialized training, research, cultural exchanges, networking and learning for individual artists, creative practitioners and arts administrators from minority ethnic and migrant backgrounds.

Application deadline: Monday 22nd August at 12pm

For guidance notes and application visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/siap-minority-ethnic-residency-mentoring-programme

SIAP Travel Awards
Open Now
These awards enable individual artists and established music groups (up to 4 members) to travel from Northern Ireland to develop their skills and expertise. Applicants must provide evidence that they have been invited by a host organisation in the country to which they intend to travel.

Application deadline: This is a rolling programme. Please note, applications must be made 4 weeks before intended date of travel.

For guidance notes and application visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/travel-awards

SIAP Major Individual Awards
Open Now
Major Individual Awards are intended to create the circumstances in which established artists with national / international recognition may develop extended or ambitious work. Awards can be for specific projects, specialised research, personal artistic development and materials/ equipment. The Arts Council is offering 4 awards of up to £15,000 each in 2022/23.

Application deadline: Monday 15th August 2022 at 12pm

For guidance notes and application visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/siap-major-individuals-award

Five finalists and a new Vice Patron announced for NI Opera’s 12th Glenarm Festival of Voice

Tuesday 19th July 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

Five opera singers have been selected as finalists from applications received from across the island of Ireland. They will compete for the Deborah Voigt Opera Prize, the Audience Prize and the Song Prize by performing arias, ensemble pieces and Irish art songs in front of an audience and a judging panel of opera experts, hosted by NI Opera’s Patron, broadcaster Sean Rafferty.

This year the festival also welcomes a new Vice Patron, Newry baritone Ben McAteer. Ben was the first winner of the Glenarm Festival of Voice vocal competition in 2010. He is an in-demand opera singer with companies across the UK and Europe and has, since his win in 2010, returned to perform at the festival as a BBC Radio 3 Recitalist.

Ben McAteer comments: ‘I am delighted to become Vice Patron of the NI Opera Festival of Voice, and to be able to do my bit in championing young operatic talent on the island of Ireland. The inaugural festival, twelve years ago now, played a hugely important role early in my career. The relationships I made with the coaches and my fellow singers have proved invaluable over the intervening years, not to mention my continued work with NI Opera itself. I’ve been fortunate to be involved with the festival in one way or another in subsequent years and I couldn’t be happier to formalise this relationship with NI Opera and the Festival of Voice.’

The five finalists selected for 2022 are: Hannah O’Brien (soprano), Heather Sammon (mezzo-soprano), Michael Bell (tenor), Owen Lucas (tenor), David Kennedy (baritone) and the Peter Rankin Piano Intern for 2022 is Doireann O’Carroll.

The team who will coach the finalists includes Kathryn Harries, Dr Ingrid Surgenor and pianist Simon Lepper. They will work with the finalists on their competition repertoire across the weekend in the build-up to the Competition Finale on Sunday 28th August at 6.30pm in Glenarm’s Church of the Immaculate Conception.

Dr Ingrid Surgenor comments: ‘It is such a thrill for me to be coming home and returning to the beautiful Antrim coast this year for what is an exciting festival of top-class vocal music-making. Most importantly, Glenarm Festival of Voice has given a multitude of Irish and Northern Irish singers a platform on which to launch their careers and for the audience a joyful few days in wonderful surroundings.’

The 12TH Glenarm Festival of Voice also features three recitals with NI Opera’s festival partners, BBC Radio 3, which will be recorded live and open to audiences for the first time since 2019. This year’s recitalists are tenor Alessandro Fisher (8pm, 26th August), baritone Seán Boylan (8pm, 27th August) and soprano Soraya Mafi (3pm, 28th August) and will take place in St Patrick’s Church, Glenarm. Tickets for these recitals are free but must be booked in advance at www.niopera.com

NI Opera will also be welcoming the 2021 winner of the Festival’s Deborah Voigt Opera Prize, soprano Ellen Mawhinney, to the historic Londonderry Arms in Carnlough where she will perform an afternoon recital on 27th August from 3-4pm.

Family friendly music and creative activities will be taking place Glenarm on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th August, next door to the Milk Parlour at Glenarm Castle as part of the Festival – details will be listed on the NI Opera website in August.

Tickets for all events are available to book now via www.niopera.com

NI Opera is grateful for the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the Esmé Mitchell Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation and Glenarm Castle.

PRS Foundation’s, Beyond Borders, opens for applications

Thursday 14th July 2022 at 11am 0 Comments

This co-commissioning and touring programme is run by PRS Foundation in partnership with Creative Scotland, supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Open Project Fund, Arts Council of Wales, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

Beyond Borders was established in 2010 to support high quality co-commissions and tours, stimulating collaboration between composers, performance groups and music organisations across the four UK countries and, since 2014, the Republic of Ireland.

Previous Beyond Borders successes have included Songs of Separation, a collective of 10 female English and Scottish folk musicians whose album won ‘Best Album’ at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017, and David Fennessy's ‘Panopticon’, commissioned by Hebrides Ensemble and Psappha, which won the Scottish Award for New Music for Small Scale work. Martin Green’s ‘Flit’, combining live music and animation which reflects on first hand stories of migration, also won over audiences and critics nationwide in 2016, and was funded through Beyond Borders.

Full details about the programme and how to apply is on the Beyond Borders page of the PRS Foundation website. Applications can be submitted from today until the deadline of 6pm on Monday 19th September 2022.

Elizabeth Sills, Grants & Programmes Manager at PRS Foundation said,

“We are delighted to be opening up our co-commissioning and touring initiative Beyond Borders for applications this year. This collaborative opportunity, with our friends at Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales and Arts Council Ireland, has enabled exciting, award winning and critically acclaimed new music to be created and performed in front of audiences across the UK and Ireland. We're excited to see who applies and the collaborations, for this unique touring opportunity."

Clare Hewitt, Music Officer at Creative Scotland said:

“Collaboration and exchange are vital for new ideas and connections between nations to flourish. The Beyond Borders programme is designed to do exactly that, enabling musicians from across the nations to collaborate and tour, reaching new audiences across the UK, and we’re so pleased to be partnering with the PRS Foundation to help make this happen.”

Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera, Arts Council of Northern Ireland comments,

“Beyond Borders is an outstanding opportunity for musicians to collaborate with other artists across the UK and Ireland in new projects, gaining a platform for their music to tour and to be heard by new audiences. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to support this important artist development programme and look forward welcoming new proposals.”

Suzanne Griffiths-Rees from Arts Council of Wales said,

“The Arts Council of Wales is delighted to be able to support Beyond Borders once again, this time through our Lottery Funding. It is exciting to enable Welsh artists to tour to other countries in the UK and Ireland, and bring our culture and heritage to those who haven’t experienced it before and it is also a pleasure to welcome artists from across those countries into Wales. Funding Beyond Borders through PRS Foundation ensure that this happens and enhances the arts infrastructure for all of us.”

Arts Council of Northern Ireland presents to the House of Commons Select Committee

Friday 8th July 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

The Arts Council’s Creative Industries Development Officer, Matthew Malcolm, provided evidence to RT Hon Greg Clark MP (Chair), Aaron Bell MP, Tracey Crouch MP and Rebecca Long-Bailey MP. Commenting on the opportunity Matthew Malcolm said,

“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is committed to accelerating growth opportunities in the Creative Industries and encouraging innovative practices that cross artform boundaries and build digital capabilities within the Northern Ireland arts sector. We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to present research findings and evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee where we hope it will influence and guide future policy making and decisions in relation to the Creative Industries in Northern Ireland.”

Within the Science and Technology Committee the Arts Council had the opportunity to outline the prioritisation and allocation of Arts Council Creative Industries funding. The Arts Council also highlighted the role of the Creative Industries Cluster (Future Screens NI) and demonstrated the benefits this partnership had provided including the academic contribution to delivering innovation funding and further developing the Creative Industries ecosystem to connect artists and creative technologists.

Key evidence included the following:

• The Creative Industries in Northern Ireland is a significant contributor to the economy supporting 29,000 NI jobs with a value of approximately £1.311bn (3.1% NI GVA)
• Since 2020, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland has invested almost £600,000 (£589,471) into the Creative Industries, focusing on digital innovation and increasing capabilities within the arts sector, with £182,068 of this investment coming from Future Screens NI; the NI Creative Cluster.
• This funding has encouraged collaboration between artists, academia and creative technologists through a successful partnership with Future Screens NI.
• Demand for digital innovation funding within the arts sector is high; between 2021 and 2022 applications significantly exceeded budget for these programmes; with only £220k available despite over £1.4m or applications (16%).

Notes

* The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee exists to ensure that Government policies and decision-making are based on solid scientific evidence and advice.

* The Creative Cluster programme is an £80m investment from the UK Industrial Strategy, through the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), which aims to drive innovation and skills in the Creative Industries in the UK and to create products and services that can be marketed globally. There are nine Creative Clusters across the UK and Northern Ireland’s Creative Cluster is Future Screens NI.

£50,000 Arts Council grant will support staging of new drama about John Hume

Thursday 7th July 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

The John & Pat Hume Foundation are first time applicants to the scheme and will work with The Playhouse in Derry/Londonderry to create an original musical drama, entitled Beyond Belief, to premiere and broadcast internationally on the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in 2023.

Tim Attwood, Foundation Secretary of The John & Pat Hume Foundation said:

“The John & Pat Hume Foundation is delighted that the Arts Council of Northern Ireland has agreed to support the production of Beyond Belief. John and Pat Hume had a long association with The Playhouse and championed the organisation’s cultural and peacebuilding work. The Hume Foundation partnership with The Playhouse on Beyond Belief is a natural one as they have a deep commitment to promoting healing, understanding and reconciliation. We are excited that the Playhouse, with Beyond Belief, will develop an inspiring, creative and emotional work telling the story of John Hume’s journey of peace and reconciliation.”

Commenting on the award Playhouse CEO Kevin Murphy said,

“The difference that The Playhouse and The John & Pat Hume Foundation both make is that we bring people together to effect meaningful change creatively, peacefully and with hope. We each strive to support positive changemakers, nurturing their creativity and confidence. In addition, when we work together the possibilities only grow and through this partnership we can contribute to sustaining peace in societies worldwide as well as here in our home city.”

The creative team behind the production will include artists Damian Gorman (Writer) and Brian O’ Doherty (Composer). The production will also provide training and development opportunities for performers from The Playhouse Music Theatre Company, which played a significant role in the staging of The White Handkerchief, produced earlier this year to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

Speaking about The Playhouse Music Theatre Company and the opportunities the new production would bring, Playhouse Theatre Director and Producer Kieran Griffiths said:

"One of the ways we are actively making a lasting difference in our creative communities is by offering free conservatoire level education in music theatre, tuition and practical education in movement, vocal and acting tuition. Focusing on the practical experience of performance, being a member of The Playhouse Music Theatre Company offers the very best local talent the opportunity to help us tell our communities stories, performing to and for the public, building the CV, confidence and practical experience required to make it in the industry.

“The company provided the ensemble, and several principal roles, in our phenomenally successful production of The White Handkerchief, performed and broadcast from the Guildhall on the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. This year’s company will do the same for Beyond Belief, a major new musical drama about the life and mission of John Hume, to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement."

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented:

“We are very pleased to announce today over £2million of funding to support a huge range of arts activities through our Lottery Project funding.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, funding raised for good causes will directly benefit communities here in Northern Ireland through quality arts programming. This vital source of funding will reach into the hearts of towns and cities across Northern Ireland, providing arts experiences for all.

“After a difficult two years, we all understand the many positive benefits the arts brings into our lives. There’s much to look forward to over the coming month including a brand new drama for local and international audiences from the John & Pat Hume Foundation, as well as festivals, concerts, new literature, plus workshops and classes for adults and young people.”

For a full list of awards made through the Arts Council’s Lottery Project funding, visit http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/ACNI-LPF-Awards-July22.pdf

Mental Health Podcasts help St Cecilia’s Girls Bounce Back Post Lockdown

Wednesday 6th July 2022 at 11am 0 Comments

The school was one of eleven to receive funding through the Creative Schools Partnership in September 2021. Supported by National Lottery funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Urban Villages Initiative and the Education Authority, the programme is designed to encourage schools to embrace the benefits of the arts by injecting more creativity into the classroom and improving educational outcomes for students. Schools were given the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £15,000 each to develop a two year arts project that would bring professional artists into the classroom to teach students new skills, build self-confidence and explore creative expression.

The Creative Schools Partnership programme is based on research which indicates that access to quality arts experiences in school can benefit all aspects of learning and personal development. This includes better engagement, increased attendance, improved results in other school subjects, growth in confidence and self-esteem and promoting positive mental health and well-being. The programme promotes a student-centred approach, using the arts as a catalyst for connected learning, raising aspirations and fusing community and school based efforts in improving educational, good relations and wider social outcomes.

Commenting on the project, Tanya Wakeley, lead teacher on the project at St Cecilia’s College, said:

“For the podcasts, we asked the students to focus on lockdown and how they coped with isolation from their peers and not being able to come to school. The project has been really fantastic. We’ve really seen their confidence grow. It’s given the group an opportunity to come together to talk about their mental health in a really positive way and also to be in control of their own learning. The podcasts they have created will be shared with the wider school community and the project has been so successful we are already planning how we can build upon it next year to take it out into the community.”

The Creative Schools Partnership encourages students to think creatively and critically, developing their own voice, resulting in a sense of pride and citizenship. The programme enables teachers to collaborate with arts professionals across a range of creative domains; to co-construct learning opportunities and address the specific needs of pupils in their school and the communities in which they live. Through creative arts participation, young people develop new skills and strengthen their relationships with their communities whilst identifying potential new career opportunities and positive self-expression.

Kwame Daniels, Creative Director, and lead artist at Bounce Culture, commented:

“This has been a brilliant project to be involved with. The students have been really enthusiastic and they’ve had the chance to try all sorts of new things that go into planning and making a podcast. There’s been opportunities to get behind the mic, we’ve been teaching set up and technical skills and they’ve even been learning to DJ, create their own music, to scripting and conducting interviews. The work we’ve done here with this group of student’s feeds into other aspects of their school life, like building literacy and numeracy skills, teamwork and learning to think creatively. To be able to take ownership of each stage of the creative process has been incredibly powerful for them.”

ACNI National Lottery Project Funding Awards 2022-23

Tuesday 5th July 2022 at 12pm 0 Comments

Among those set to benefit from the fund are: The John & Pat Foundation for Peaceful Change and Reconciliation, Aisling Ghéar Theatre Company, Newry Chamber Music, BEAM Creative Network (Mid-Ulster), Portico of Ards, Arts for All (North Belfast), Carntougher Community Association (Maghera) and the Greater Shankill Partnership. The funding will be used to support the development and creation of year round arts activities and events through literature, drama, visual arts, music and community programming.

The John & Pat Hume Foundation are first time applicants to the scheme and have been awarded £50,000. They will work with The Playhouse in Derry/Londonderry to create an original musical drama, entitled Beyond Belief, to premiere and broadcast internationally on the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in 2023.

Tim Attwood, Foundation Secretary of The John & Pat Hume Foundation said:

“The John & Pat Hume Foundation is delighted that the Arts Council of Northern Ireland has agreed to support the production of Beyond Belief. John and Pat Hume had a long association with The Playhouse and championed the organisation’s cultural and peacebuilding work. The Hume Foundation partnership with The Playhouse on Beyond Belief is a natural one as they have a deep commitment to promoting healing, understanding and reconciliation. We are excited that the Playhouse, with Beyond Belief, will develop an inspiring, creative and emotional work telling the story of John Hume’s journey of peace and reconciliation.”

The creative team behind the production will include artists Damian Gorman (Writer) and Brian O’ Doherty (Composer). The production will also provide training and development opportunities for performers from The Playhouse Music Theatre Company, which played a significant role in the staging of The White Handkerchief, produced earlier this year to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented:

“We are very pleased to announce today over £2million of funding to support a huge range of arts activities through our Lottery Project funding.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, funding raised for good causes will directly benefit communities here in Northern Ireland through quality arts programming. This vital source of funding will reach into the hearts of towns and cities across Northern Ireland, providing arts experiences for all.

“After a difficult two years, we all understand the many positive benefits the arts brings into our lives. There’s much to look forward to over the coming month including a brand new drama for both local and international audiences from the John & Pat Hume Foundation, as well as festivals, concerts, new literature, plus workshops and classes for adults and young people.”

Organisations to be awarded funding include:

Newry Chamber Music
Awarded £50,000
The 22/23 season will offer up to 14 live performances of world class concerts from Newry Chamber Music’s flagship Chamber Music group, the Fews Ensemble. This will feature new work by NI/Irish composers and include innovative and exciting programmes which will be performed across Northern Ireland in a bid to strengthen and develop growing audiences.

BEAM Creative Network (Mid-Ulster)
Awarded £10,001
BEAM Creative Network will engage young disabled and able people from Mid Ulster in a project called Beyond Limits. This project is an inclusive arts project of workshops in drama, music, dance, and pre-production skills to include set design and paint, culminating in a performance to family and friends. The aim of Beyond Limits is to enable disabled young people to work safely alongside their non-disabled peers, to improve artistic skills, increase understanding and develop relationships between all participants.

Greater Shankill Partnership
Awarded £31,743
Lottery Project funding from the Arts Council will support high quality creative activity at a grassroots level within Greater Shankill. The programme will be targeted at the most disadvantaged, vulnerable members of the community, and the need for providing focussed support, fellowship and a creative outlet through their Meet Up Monday Group (aimed at those who are living with poor mental health) and Chatty Tuesday Gang (a sociable art class aimed at socially isolated older people). Greater Shankill Partnership will also continue to support young people to build on their cultural capital through the Art Den afterschool and holiday provision and the cross community schools Friendship Programme. The Ausome Arts project will extend to meet the needs and support the families of children with ASD and the organisation will continue to develop the skills base of more experienced artists through the Women's Art Group, whilst encouraging participation for those with little experience of the arts by way of facilitated sessions in their Dip In taster workshops.

Carntogher Community Association (Maghera)
Awarded £38,218
Carntogher Community Arts will deliver a wide ranging arts programme within Carntogher and across the Mid Ulster Council area. Post covid, the programme will focus on rebuilding audience and participations, with a focus on those living in rural isolation, offering a bilingual Arts programme which covers a wide spectrum of artforms, including visual, spoken, written, music performances and drama.

Fighting Words Northern Ireland
Awarded £23,734
This funding will support Write Club, a community for young writers in NI aged 13-18, supporting them to write about what they want, in the way they want. Membership is free, with writers given the opportunity and support to write and explore a range of subjects. Over the next year, Fighting Words plan to expand Write Club from a weekly activity on Zoom to a sustained course programme, and lay the foundations to grow Write Club to three more locations.

Household Belfast CIC
Awarded £20,550
Household Belfast has been awarded funding to develop a 12 month programme of activities that aims to promote a new ‘Culture of Collecting’ in Northern Ireland and nurture and champion public art production. Over the next 12 months, Household Belfast will expand UPHOLD, its online platform that promotes and sells work by NI visual artists and produce a new produce new public art within the Queen’s University campus.

For a full list of awards made, visit http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/ACNI-LPF-Awards-July22.pdf

Nine projects gets share of £49,000 Arts Council fund for community projects

Monday 4th July 2022 at 11am 0 Comments

Supported through National Lottery funds, the Small Grants Programme is designed to encourage organisations in Northern Ireland to get more people to engage with the arts through creative, community-based projects. Grants are awarded by the Arts Council on a monthly basis and organisations can apply for up to £10,000 to support projects in any art form, including music, drama, dance, literature, visual, and participatory arts.

One of the projects set to benefit from funding is Limavady-based ArtAbyss. It has been awarded £7,500 to support their three day children’s festival in July, offering up to 1,200 children the chance to enjoy a whole host of fun new arts experiences.

Kathryn McShane from ArtAbyss explained what the award means for the organisation:

“ArtAbyss Children’s Festival, first piloted by Stendhal Festival in 2018, engages children and young people in the wider area in arts activity which aims to build confidence, resilience and most importantly, to reconnect with their creativity!

“We believe that creativity is the seed of innovation, and that everyone is an artist in their own way. By including many facets of artistic practice we believe there’s something for everyone. Our key themes this year are to promoting mental wellbeing, reconnect with nature and build confidence and self-esteem through participation in the Creative Arts. We want to allow our young people to do what they do best, be creative and play.

“We've watched ArtAbyss grow from Strength to Strength over the last 5 years and is now a charity in it's own right. We've loved to watch our event grow, inviting more schools in the region to take part - but ArtAbyss isn't just a festival. We're growing our outreach programme and providing training to artists and facilitators in the region. We believe ArtAbyss has been a valuable resource for children in the rural North West and provides a much needed outlet for our young people to reach their full potential. Without our biggest supporter, Arts Council of Northern Ireland we wouldn't be where we are today!”

Commenting on funding programme, Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:

“Thanks to the National Lottery, we have awarded funding through our Small Grants programme to support nine fantastic community projects this month, creating more opportunities for people to engage with the arts, from grassroots level projects through to professional productions.

“Made possible thanks to National Lottery players and the money raised for good causes, this valuable funding programme is supporting a huge variety of high quality arts projects, proving that sometimes a small investment can have a tremendous impact on the communities we live in.”

In JUNE Small Grants Awards were awarded to:

BEAMA Education CIC, awarded £3,855 for their project ‘All Points: East’
All Points Arts is an artist-led audio-video project produced by BEAMA education CIC, bringing together some of NI’s foremost digital content creators, poets, visual artists and musicians, with the aim of showcasing emerging and established local talent in venues of historical and cultural significance. All Points: East builds on the success of All Points: North and will focus on showcasing and promoting the work of musicians, content creators and venues in the East of Belfast.

ArtAbyss LTD, awarded £7,500 for the ArtAbyss Children’s Festival 2022
ArtAbyss is a three day dedicated Children’s Festival for Key Stage 2 school children based in rural Northern Ireland. It takes place just outside Limavady and offers children a range of arts experiences, performance opportunities and workshops including, circus, music, craft and visual arts. The 4th annual ArtAbyss Children's Festival will take place on the 15th, 16th & 17th of July 2022 for 1,200 children living within a 30 mile radius of the Limavady.

Sailortown Regeneration, awarded £6,500 for the Sailortown Gathering
The Sailortown area is being brought back to life in a partnership between Sailortown Regeneration, Maritime Trust and the Harbour through the Maritime Mile initiative. Funding awarded through the Arts Council’s Small Grants programme will support a festival that will include local venues, streets and Barrow Square, as part of the organisation’s ongoing mission to revitalise Sailortown. Planned events and activities include exhibitions, live music and performances.

Cara-Friend, awarded £6,500 for The Rainbow Library
The Rainbow Library is an ambitious UK and Ireland-wide participatory literature creation and publishing project addressing demand for LGBTQ+ identities in children’s books. Eleven LGBTQ+ writers and illustrators will develop eight new works of children’s literature (picture books, poetry, novella, comics), all conceived during creative workshops with LGBTQ+ young people in eight cities (Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Cork, Inverness, Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham, Basildon). Funding from the Arts Council’s Small Grants Programme will support the NI based elements of the project.

Reclaim the Enlightenment, awarded £4,500 for Harps Alive
Harps Alive│An Chruit Bheo│Harp Leevin is a major collaborative festival that will take place in July to mark the 230th anniversary of the assembly of harpers in Belfast in 1792 and celebrate the work of the renowned organist and collector, Edward Bunting, who played a major part in the preservation of the music of the harpers. The event will bring together harpers from all over Ireland, showcase the harpers’ music, and bring a contemporary spotlight to bear on current developments to safeguard harping as a living tradition in Ireland.

The Public Catalogue Foundation, awarded £4,675 for Art UK: Northern Ireland Audience Development Programme
Art UK will carry out a programme of content development in Northern Ireland that will build upon its work growing and diversifying digital audiences. It will also support public art collections and venues across Northern Ireland to improve their reach, raise their digital profile, and engage individuals and communities in an accessible way. This work will include the commissioning of 15 articles over 12 months, from art writers, artists, authors, researchers and specialists in or from Northern Ireland, covering a wide range of subjects relating to Northern Irish art.

Celtronic Derry LTD, awarded £7,000 for Celtronic 2022
For 22 years, Celtronic has showcased the most relevant national/international acts alongside the best emerging acts across all genres of electronic music. Headliners at recent festivals have included Nile Rodgers & Chic, Ulster Orchestra, Jon Hopkins, David Holmes, Bicep, Nina Kraviz, Mary Anne Hobbs and Annie Mac. Celtronic 2022 will take place in Derry across a range of indoor/outdoor venues and will showcase showcase the best local, national electronic musicians, DJs, producers and live acts alongside the world's most national/international acts.

Pollen Studio and Gallery Belfast, awarded £5,950 for ArtFest:Pollen8
Funding from the Arts Council through the Small Grants programme will enable Pollen Studio to expand its work to deliver two separate community focused arts projects. The first, named ArtsFest, is a support network for artists in Belfast and beyond, directed at providing a platform for amateur artists to gain experience of taking part in a live art event and develop their professional artistic practice. The second project, named Pollin8, will focus on pollination and conservation, fusing arts and science to create an interactive arts experience for young people, lead by qualified conservation scientists and artist workshop facilitators from Pollen Studios and Gallery.

Codetta Choirs, awarded £3,150 for two commissions for young singers.
For 2022, Codetta will commission two new works for its Junior and Youth choirs from acclaimed composer and concert harpist, Anne Marie O’Farrell. Each work will be of 3-5 minutes duration and will be workshopped as part of Big Sing schools events at the Festival. Composers, writers and performers will be encouraged to take part in the digital programme of Symposia and podcasts that accompanies the Choir Festival. After the event, both works will be recorded by Codetta Junior and Youth choirs, with recordings engineered by the Choir Festival’s experienced in-house production team of R&D Media and PS Audio for dissemination.

Funding from the Small Grants Programme is awarded to organisations by the Arts Council on a monthly basis. Application forms and guidance notes are available to download at http://artscouncil-ni.org/funding/scheme/small-grants-programme

BAFTA-nominated chiptune composer, Niamh Houston, reveals details of videogame installation project

Saturday 2nd July 2022 at 10am 0 Comments

Niamh Houston (aka Chipzel), is a BAFTA-nominated (Super Hexagon – Best British Game) and award-winning composer, producer and performer. Niamh will use her award to finance a ‘sprint’ development period working with regional talent on TieYourLaces (TYL). TYL was first developed in 2021 when Niamh worked together with Craig Fairweather and Andrew Dyce from, We Throw Switches, to develop a prototype inspired and constructed around her powerful chiptune beats to get inter-generational communities more active. TYL is a punksport, movement-based videogame installation, which combines modern videogame design; original music composition; and cutting-edge hardware to answer the question: 'In 2022, what would a real-life, community e-sport look like?

The laser-tracking technology at the heart of the installation will invite participants to intuitively move around a pre-set physical ‘court’ sized space (4mx4m), indoors or outdoors, and these movements act as digital inputs for the installation. Participants can create competitive scores and opt in to generate digital user content. The game is intended to be accessible to users of any ability who can increase movement and create meaningful social interactions that are motivated by sound. TYL will make previously underused public spaces come alive.

Niamh Houston (aka Chipzel), who is originally from Strabane but is now based in County Down began her journey with the Chiptune music genre during her time as a student at Lumen Christi College in Derry-Londonderry when she started composing on a Game Boy. Previously, Niamh teamed up with Terry Cavanagh, a video games developer from Monaghan, they worked together on the BAFTA-nominated mobile game Super Hexagon which led to an established career in games scoring. Chipzel has become best associated as a pioneer of the Chiptune scene - a style of electronic music created on retro consoles and computers. Chipzel is renowned for her use of a Nintendo Gameboy in both composition and performance.

Commenting on the project Chipzel said,

“This project is a playable and scalable installation that is designed to get you moving. It is a videogame that is designed for public spaces so it could be installed at a music festival, at a gym, outdoors, the possibilities of location are endless and you in your body are the physical controller of the game.”

The project is one of four partnership projects that use the arts within new and emerging digital, immersive technologies to expand the possibilities of how the arts can be distributed and utilised in new and innovative ways. The Creative Industries Seed Fund, worth £100,000, from The National Lottery and Future Screens NI, is now in its second round of the programme and the current four awardees include: Niamh Houston/Chipzel, Bad Girl Barre/Jill Rose Jacobs, Accidental Theatre and Belfast Photo Festival.

Matthew Malcolm, Creative Industries Development Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented,

“The Arts Council is delighted to partner with Future Screens NI on the Creative Industries Seed Fund programme and thanks to The National Lottery, it will support four ambitious projects that distribute and utilize the arts in new ways using digital and immersive technologies. This programme reflects our continuing commitment to encouraging innovative practices that cross artform boundaries and build digital capabilities within the Northern Ireland arts sector. Chipzel’s exciting project expands on how arts audiences can engage with the arts through accessible experiences that combine her music, immersive technology and physical activity to reimagine how a real-world physical space can be interacted with.”

The Creative Industries Seed Fund is now closed with all available funding allocated. For details on all Arts Council funding opportunities visit www.artscouncil-ni.org/funding

To find out more about the work and music of Chipzel visit https://chipzel.co.uk/

Arts Council of Northern Ireland announces Annual Funding Programme awards for 2022-23

Friday 1st July 2022 at 2pm 0 Comments

With £8,531,011 of exchequer funding from the Department for Communities allocation, and £4,481,479 from Arts Council’s National Lottery sources, the total fund offered £13,012,490, is the largest funding allocation made to arts organisations each year.

Chair of the Arts Council, Liam Hannaway, said,

“In fact funding for the arts in Northern Ireland now sits at an all-time low, compared to other parts of the UK and Ireland. Despite fulfilling almost identical functions, investment in the Arts in NI sits at only £5.44 per capita, based on 2022/23 budget figures. This contrasts sharply with Wales at £10.35 and the Republic of Ireland at £25.90 per capita. A reinvestment in the arts is needed to regenerate a sector which struggles year on year to make ends meet”.

Mr Hannaway said the Arts Council had recently met arts organisations and both he and the Chief Executive, Roisín McDonough had engaged with the Department for Communities and informed them of the current stresses,

“The Arts Council met with our key organisations in April and May and in response, brought their concerns to the Department for Communities. We are making the case for more investment in the arts and creative sectors here so that we can afford to deliver the Programme for Government targets we are charged with; ensuring as many people can access and participate in the arts as possible. We all know that through the arts, significant and positive change happens - we bring communities together, build a stronger economy and improve mental health and wellbeing for all. Our recent bid to the Department to increase the funding baseline for the arts in NI, can help strengthen our arts sector and allow us to deliver on these important outcomes.”

Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council said,

“The consequences of the pandemic and other inflationary costs and issues, are being felt everywhere and by everyone in the arts and creative sector. This is set against a backdrop of reduced public investment in the arts which has fallen by 28% in cash terms over the last decade, from £14.1m to £10.1m, closer to 49% when inflation is taken into account.

“This year, our core arts organisations are to be congratulated for proposing an inspirational range of arts events and activities as the sector fully reopens. They support hundreds of individual artists, providing employment and opportunity, delivering touring programmes and entertaining audiences on stages in our fine venues, while providing tuition and educational outreach to communities across Northern Ireland.

“They also help build the reputation of Northern Ireland abroad, delivering an important and inspirational impact for a relatively small public spend – so for all of that, we take this opportunity to thank them for their resilience and spirit.”

Some of those organisations offered Annual Funding Programme awards include the following:

Greater Shantallow Community Arts (GSCA), Derry-Londonderry
AFP funding offer: £132,015
Greater Shantallow Community Arts (GSCA) is a community organisation based in Derry-Londonderry and their aim is to provide direct access to the arts for those living in disadvantaged communities. The key objective of GSCA is to bring arts and cultural activity to areas of significant marginalisation and deprivation, and address complex social issues like social exclusion, isolation, lack of opportunity and poverty. They are a trusted arts partner, delivering key services to some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in their community. Core funding enables the organisation to offer a year-round programme of creative activities benefitting over 1,400 people every week, delivered from their purpose-built, high-quality community arts centre, 'Studio 2'.

Echo Echo, Derry-Londonderry
AFP funding offer: £112,910
Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company is based in Derry-Londonderry where it has its home studios in Waterloo House on the historic City Walls. Echo Echo was founded by Ursula Laeubli and Steve Batts in Amsterdam in 1991 and the company worked extensively throughout Europe before moving to Derry in 1997. Echo Echo favours collaborative and co-operative working methods. The company is organised as an ensemble with a group of artists who are committed to long term collaboration and mutual support. Echo Echo creates touring, site and event-specific productions, an annual festival of dance and movement, a programme of artistic residencies, performances by visiting artists and companies, and a wide variety of participatory projects with a broad range of groups and individuals.

Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre, Fermanagh
AFP funding offer: £47,415
Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre supports the development of dance and is the only professional and participatory dance organisation in Northern Ireland that is based in a rural location in Fermanagh. The company has three primary areas of work including; professional dance performance locally and internationally, a programme of participatory and community development, and a schools education programme that runs in conjunction with curriculum needs.

The Armagh Rhymers, Armagh
AFP funding offer: £58,790
The Armagh Rhymers deliver quality arts to a variety of sectors in society, many from the most deprived backgrounds. A lot of their work takes place in schools providing quality storytelling & bespoke interactive plays using music, song, dance, puppets and masks. They also take part in a wide range of events and festivals such as the Belfast Mela, Halloween in Derry City, and the Big Arts Festival in Ballycastle. The Armagh Rhymers have also toured internationally in USA, China and Europe.

Open House Festival, Bangor, Co.Down
AFP funding offer: £49,400
Open House Festival was established in Belfast in 1999 and moved to Bangor in 2013. It’s a popular annual summer festival that takes place every August in the beautiful seaside town in County Down. At the heart of the Festival is an eclectic programme of events, including folk on a boat, an island picnic trip, pop-up restaurants, local interest talks and tours alongside a run of shows in the beautiful Bangor Castle Walled Garden, which include music, theatre, comedy, spoken word and film.

Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast
AFP funding offer: £56,674
Oh Yeah is Belfast’s dedicated music hub, a resource for music makers and also for the music industry. It was constituted in 2007 in the belief that music is a valuable agent in Northern Ireland, a catalyst that changes lives for the better. The venue offers affordable rehearsal space, a live venue, a music exhibition, a café space, a recording studio, a song-writing room and workshop spaces. Their programmes focus on talent development, promotion and celebration, industry mentoring, youth development and community outreach as-well as arts and older people projects, music industry incubation, music tourism and heritage. They run the annual Women’s Work Festival and the NI Music Prize.

Array Studios
AFP funding offer: £25,477
Array studios was established in 1994 by a group of early career artists intent on making a difference to the world of visual art in Belfast. Over the past 20 years Array has seen a vast number of artists come through the doors working in painting, print, drawing, sculpture, sound, video, performance, ceramics, photography and more. Members have exhibited worldwide and locally and are deserved recipients of numerous awards and funding bursaries. Array also hosts short-term residencies and exhibitions in their InCube space. In 2021 the Array Collective won the prestigious Turner Prize. The Array Collective is a group of individual artists rooted in Belfast, who joined together to create collaborative actions in response to the socio-political issues affecting Northern Ireland. Array’s studios and project space in the city centre acts as a base for the collective.

Drake Music Project Northern Ireland
AFP funding offer: £51,224
Drake Music Project Northern Ireland is based in Newry but works across the region with a studio in Belfast also. The organisation provides access to independent music making for children and adults with complex disabilities. Workshops in composition and performance skills are afforded by the provision of adapted computer interfacing technology allowing people with disabilities the opportunity to express their creativity in an independent and controllable environment.

To view the list of Annual Funding Awards offered visit http://www.artscouncil-ni.org/images/uploads/publications-documents/ACN-AFP-Awards-July-2022.pdf