Funding now available for arts projects supporting the wellbeing of older people
15th August, 2025
Organisations across Northern Ireland are encouraged to apply for funding from the National lottery Arts and Older People Programme.
Community groups, arts organisations and councils across Northern Ireland, can now apply to the National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme, a funding scheme managed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. This latest round of the programme invites applications for grants up to £10,000 to deliver arts projects benefitting older people. Applications are open from 15 August 2025 and will close at 12noon on 16 October 2025. Visit the Arts Council’s website to apply - https://artscouncil-ni.org/fun...
The National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme has been designed to challenge the perceptions of what it means to be an older person, aiming to strengthen the voice of older people, tackle isolation and loneliness, and promote positive mental health and well-being through engagement with the arts. It was established by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in 2010 and is now a cross-governmental partnership with funding from The National Lottery, Public Health Agency and The Baring Foundation.
The National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme is one of the Arts Council’s targeted schemes, delivering National Lottery funds to increase the health and well-being of older people within the community. To date the programme has provided £2.3m in funding to community organisations and voluntary groups in the delivery of over 261 arts projects to thousands of older people across the region.
Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented, “We know that taking part in arts activities can boost confidence and motivation, and help to relieve isolation and loneliness. The National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme aims to increase opportunities for older people to engage in the arts and thanks to The National Lottery players, this programme is providing meaningful opportunities for older people in NI to take part in the arts, enriching their lives for the better. We are delighted to reopen the National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme today and I would encourage organisations across the region to apply.”
Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast recently received National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme funding for their project, City of Stories. This project used the arts to tell the tales of Belfast through visual arts and involved older people over 65. Golden Thread Gallery worked with Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Stroke Association NI to identify participants who would benefit from weekly arts sessions.
Over the course of several weeks, participants engaged in a range of visual arts techniques such as painting, colouring, felting and more, with the project culminating in a showcase event at the gallery. Activities were designed to stimulate the senses, promote conversation through storytelling, enhance mobility, dexterity and well-being, plus connect participants to each other and the world around them.
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland visited one of the workshops at Golden Thread Gallery, watch the video below to find out more.
Applications for the National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme are now open and will close at 12noon on 16 October 2025. Applications must be made on the Arts Council’s website. View the Guidance Notes and make an application at https://artscouncil-ni.org/fun...