ACNI National Lottery Project Funding Awards 2022-23

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