Arts council invests in new programme

Jointly funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Arts & Older People Programme will provide opportunities for older people to engage with the arts, by joining a workshop or trying out a new arts activity.

Research has revealed that 21 percent of people in Northern Ireland aged 65 and over feel lonely often or always, with 16 per cent not leaving their homes more than once a week and seven percent never leaving their homes at all.

However, participants in the arts activities reported an improvement in their overall mood and confidence, as well as helping to relieve stress, worries and pain.

Rosemary Kelly, Chairman of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, explained: “Over the course of the next three years it is our hope that through the arts this programme will help build a fairer, more inclusive society and improve the lives of those living in some of the most disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland.”

The first round of funding opened on July 8, with grants of up to 50,000 available to arts organisations, as well as community and voluntary groups.