Review of art classes at council venues in Antrim Newtownabbey

The council was responding after a Ballyclare resident contacted the Newtownabbey Times to express concern that classes she had attended pre-pandemic had not yet resumed.

The woman claimed: “Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council are no longer running their arts and craft classes as there is no room for them any longer. All of the space at Ballyearl and Mossley Mill is required for administration. There are a lot of very disappointed people.

“The class that I go to is trying to find premises, but everything is very expensive. It is such a shame that this is all going to have to stop.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the local authority said: “Arts and crafts classes have not yet been reinstated as part of the ongoing recovery of the arts and culture service.

“Classes and courses were suspended in line with the full suspension of all arts and cultural in-person activity as part of the emergency response to Covid-19 in March 2020.

“All of the class programme which had been delivered pre pandemic has been impacted – there was no set number of classes in any given term.

“The class programme prior to the pandemic was delivered on a break even basis therefore there is no financial loss.

“The rooms were being used to accommodate operational staff in a socially distanced manner whilst the council managed return to work during the ongoing pandemic.

“As we begin to return to normal post Covid we’re going to carry out a review of arts and craft classes in consultation with existing users before deciding how to proceed. We plan to create a programme of classes and courses for the autumn term 2022.”

The spokesperson added that “no formal complaints have been received” about the issue.

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