162 artists from Northern Ireland set to benefit from £1million career development funding, thanks to The National Lottery
17th November, 2025
162 artists from across the region set to benefit from over £1million funding from the National Lottery and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The funding which is part of the Arts Council’s National Lottery Project Funding for Individual Artists (PFIA) scheme, supports artists across all artforms who are at various stages of their artistic careers, including emerging artists.
The National Lottery Project Funding for Individual Artists scheme forms part of the Arts Council’s wider Support for the Individual Artist Programme (SIAP) and aims to support the wide range of activity that can be undertaken by artists of all disciplines in relation to their practice, and to enable innovation and experimentation.
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Noirin McKinney, Director of Arts Development at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is thrilled to announce more than £1m in funding for 162 exceptional artists based in Northern Ireland, through our National Lottery Project Funding for Individual Artists scheme. These grants, worth up to £10,000 each, provide artists with the financial means to take their professional, artistic careers to that all-important next level. The programme also supports innovation and experimentation and addresses the need for on-going skills development and training that lies within the arts sector in NI, and we are excited to see their projects develop in the year ahead. Congratulations to all the awardees.”
The artists will now go on to develop a series of projects. Some of those offered funding include:
Patricia Cowan, aerialist artist, Mid & East Antrim.
Funding amount offered: £9,323.
Project title: Patricia will use the funding to create a new aerial and acrobatic work entitled Bound by Borders: A Northern Irish Rope Journey by 'Woven'.
Sheila Llewellyn, writer, Fermanagh.
Funding amount offered: £6,000.
Project title: Sheila will use the funding towards the writing of a new novel entitled ‘Fallout’.
Bróna McVittie, singer-songwriter and musician, Newry.
Funding amount offered: £6,809.
Project title: Bróna will use the funding towards the creation of a new book - a European folklore anthology due for release in spring 2026, and an accompanying album inspired by these mythological songs, poems and stories due for release in autumn 2026.
Ciaran Magill, visual artist, Newry.
Funding amount offered: £3,400.
Project title: Ciaran will use the funding to develop a new solo exhibition entitled ‘Tropical Light’.
Yaroslava Navrotska, aerial artist, Belfast.
Funding amount offered: £3,623.
Project title: Yaroslava will use the funding towards aerial skills development with senior circus artists leading to the creation of two new acts.
Anne Harper, harpist, Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon.
Funding amount offered: £6,550.
Project title: Ulster and Western Scotland - a shared past in harp and story.
Ed Bennett, musician and composer, North Down and Ards
Funding amount offered: £10,000.
Project title: Ed will use the funding towards the development of a new composition entitled ‘Everything Is Connected’.
Brendan Jamison, visual artist, North Down & Ards
Funding amount offered: £6,252.
Project title: Brendan will use the funding to create a new solo visual art project around neurodiversity in art and chess.
Aoife Boyle (Reevah), musician/singer-songwriter, Derry~Londonderry.
Funding amount offered: £9,000.
Project title: Reevah will use the funding to develop her second album.
Katsutoshi Umetsu, Derry-Londonderry.
Funding amount offered: £6,266.
Project title: 絆 Kizuna Harp: Sakura & Shamrocks: Crafting Connection through Harp Making. Katsutoshi will make fully playable, artistically significant Irish harp that integrates Japanese hand-carved design elements.
Helen Hall, dancer and choreographer, Antrim and Newtownabbey.
Funding amount offered: £9,000.
Project title: Helen will use the funding towards the creation of a new project entitled ‘Dance for camera: Movement Within’.
Paul McVeigh, writer, Belfast.
Funding amount offered: £9.000.
Project title: Paul will use the funding to develop ‘I Feel You’, a new book featuring a collection of stories.
Rebecca Murphy, opera singer, Mid-Ulster
Funding amount offered: £8,250.
Project title: Rebecca will use the funding towards a professional development project in two strands, one with an orchestra and another as a recitalist.
To view a full list of all those offered funding visit National Lottery Project Funding for Individual… | Arts Council NI