Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon council allocated funding for Lough Neagh arts project
Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon (ABC) Borough Council has been allocated £8,700 to deliver an arts project based on Lough Neagh and involving two local community groups.
Speaking at a recent Economic Development & Regeneration Committee meeting, head of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Brian Johnston explained: “The team made an application to the Arts Council [through] the Rural Engagement Arts Programme and received a letter of offer for £8,700.
“The project is called Lough Shore Lives, so it’s working with two community groups, Maghery Community Hall and Lough Neagh Boating Heritage Association.
“Over nine months, artists will work with these groups and I think there’s 24 engagements or whatever within the programme.
“The recommendation is that members accept the letter of offer from the Arts Council for the Lough Shore Lives arts project.”
The recommendation was proposed by Councillor Peter Lavery (Alliance, Lurgan DEA), who remarked: “I think it’s great to see any kind of investment in the arts, but particularly in those rural areas where there’s maybe a lack of facilities.”
The recommendation was seconded by Councillor Liam Mackle (Sinn Féin, Lurgan DEA).
The relevant agenda item described the project as follows: “Lough Shore Lives will be a high quality, co-designed, multi-disciplinary and inter-generational arts programme delivered over the course of nine months.
“Under the expert professional guidance of ABC Council’s Community Arts Officer Mark Revels, three highly-experienced artists, fine artist Deborah Malcomson, film-maker and director Joe McStravick, and photo-journalist Mariusz Smiejek – with support from up-and-coming artists as part of a mentoring initiative – will work on a co-creation basis with our partner groups to ensure that the programme of activities and outcomes reflect the differing needs of the participants.
“The artists will work with and within these rural communities, in a nurturing way, listening, recognising and responding to issues that are specific to the Lough Shore and its people.
“Artistic responses, across a range of creative forms, will be guided by the professional artists, but led by the Lough Shore communities.
“Through a minimum of 24 engagement sessions that will culminate in community presentations, participants will be given a platform to examine what was, is and will be important to them and the Lough Shore.
“The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has offered funding of £8,700. The total project cost is £22,429.60. Match funding will come from the Tourism, Arts and Culture budget.”
Mr Johnston explained that the new Community Arts Officer has been very effective to date in engaging with various communities to work on different arts projects: “We have employed a Community Arts Officer now for nearly a year, and he is really getting some traction, particularly in the rural areas.
“There’s a project between Aghagallon Community Centre, Killicomaine Jubilee Club and Craigavon Health in Mind. There was a really big launch event for that.
“It’s really getting into communities and engaging with people who have been very isolated, in some cases in a really meaningful way. That programme is working really well.”
As part of their ‘Traditions for the Future’ project, participants from Aghagallon Community Centre, Killicomaine Jubilee Club, and Craigavon Health in Mind came together last August to display works created over 10 weeks of workshops. The exhibition, which continued for four weeks, was warmly received by the community and venue visitors.
The Community Arts Officer is currently in the planning stages of arts engagement projects with Rathfriland Regeneration, Aeon Art (Lurgan), Annaghmore Men’s Shed and SPRING (Armagh).