Arts Council encourages applications from local groups

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is calling on community and voluntary groups along the north coast - from Coleraine to Castlerock and Bushmills to Ballycastle - to avail of funding that will help support their communities in finding positive new ways to express their identity, culture and tradition.

Funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the European Union’s Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE III) managed by the Special EU Programmes Body and the International Fund for Ireland, the Building Peace through the Arts – Re-Imaging Communities programme uses the arts as a means of tackling sectarianism and racism.

Working to address those issues, the programme funds local consultation and allows communities to explore themes which unite rather than divide (stage 1), ultimately leading to the creation of public artwork that reflects their desire for an inclusive, tolerant and shared community (stage 2). Up to £5,000 of funding is available for the initial consultation and engagement stage, with a maximum of £50,000 then available to produce, install and launch the artwork.

Sean Keenan, Arts Council Programme Manager, said;

“42 projects have been approved to date and we wish to ensure that as many areas as possible take advantage of this support to tackle the scourge of sectarianism and racism. We are particularly keen to encourage applications from groups right along the North Coast as we’ve yet to receive many applications from this area.

The deadline for receipt of stage 1 applications is Tuesday 30th September so we would encourage anyone interested to get in touch with us now to discuss how your community can benefit from this programme.”

To find out more about Building Peace through the Arts - Re-Imaging Communities, please contact the Arts Council’s Re-Imaging Communities team on +44 (0) 28 9038 5228, visit: www.artscouncil-ni.org or email: [email protected]