Thrive launches 100 untold stories emphasising why arts and culture is crucial for society.
1st October, 2023
Thrive, the Northern Ireland charity which support arts, and heritage organisations to strengthen their relationship with audiences, has this week launched ‘Northern Ireland in 100 Stories’. The project is sharing findings from a year-long research project to better understand what arts and culture mean to the public. Funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Thrive wanted to bust the myth that the arts are only for certain types of people. To do this, they undertook research across all 11 council areas talking to over 100 people and hearing about their relationship with the arts. Those interviews covered what they enjoyed, where they went and why they bothered.
Thrive has brought this new research together to create the ‘Northern Ireland in 100 Stories’ booklet which features stories from each Council area. It is now telling the powerful stories from each area which underline the importance of arts to society. These included stories from Derry about how art helped forge friendships and grow confidence, stories from the Causeway region, about how art enables people to learn new things they otherwise wouldn’t know, including cultural differences and diversity, and further west in Fermanagh, conversations about how art helps people with mental health and wellbeing.
The stories show that arts and culture has a significant role and impact on peoples, from helping to break down barriers, bring communities together, improve and support mental health, and enrich our lives. Art has the opportunity to open minds, connect, share views and lose yourself in the moment. These key beliefs were borne out through the research and collation of the stories for ‘Northern Ireland in 100 Stories’. Thrive believe that the research will be valuable to the sector in the future in helping change minds and shape the debate on the role of arts.
Commenting on the year long project, and the creation of ‘Northern Ireland in 100 Stories’ Fiona Bell, CEO of Thrive, said; “This has been a wonderful, enriching and insightful project. Our team engaged with 100 people to discover and explore their relationship with arts and culture and understand what they’ve gained from being involved in arts and how it forms part of their DNA. Many told us the value arts has within their lives and it is evident many would be lost without it in its many, rich and varied forms.
Art is everywhere, its not just for the chosen few. Who hasn’t sang a sad song when they wanted to cry or watched their favourite film when they needed to be comforted. Arts in its many glorious forms is about all of us. It's about what it means to be human. They tell us that without arts and culture, life would be dull, bland and without imagination. We are enriched by its very exitance for everyone to tap into.” Fiona added.
Karly Greene, Director of Strategic Development and Partnerships at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland said, “The positive value and impact of the arts on individual lives and communities cannot be overstated and this qualitative research from Thrive reinforces that important message. The arts bring us together, inspire us and have the power to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. This booklet is a testament to that power - the arts can transform us and the places we live in for the better. Congratulations to Thrive for publishing this at a time when public funding for the arts in Northern Ireland is under so much pressure, I hope it’s read far and wide and raises awareness of the important role our artists and arts organisations have in our lives.”
To view Northern Ireland in 100 stories visit thrive | Audience Snapshots (wewillthrive.co.uk).