Culture forum concerned individuals won’t benefit from £900k ‘legacy’ fund

A Londonderry cultural forum says it is concerned individuals will not benefit from a £900,000 fund to realise a ‘legacy’ from UK City of Culture 2013.
A cultural forum in Londonderry is concerned individuals won't benefit from a £900k 'legacy fund' announced in the wake of UK City of Culture 2013.A cultural forum in Londonderry is concerned individuals won't benefit from a £900k 'legacy fund' announced in the wake of UK City of Culture 2013.
A cultural forum in Londonderry is concerned individuals won't benefit from a £900k 'legacy fund' announced in the wake of UK City of Culture 2013.

The Cultural Partnership Forum (CPF), which was established prior to the successful culture bid to assume civic responsibility for arts and culture, says the lack of funding opportunities for individual artists has been a matter of great concern for some time.

In a statement the forum said the recent announcement of a £900,000 joint Legacy Fund from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Derry City Council was broadly welcome.

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But it added: “While the £900,000 fund is broadly welcomed by the CPF, members are extremely disappointed that individual artists are excluded from applying to the scheme.

“This disappointment has been further heightened by the fact that members were assured that their previously voiced concerns about this issue would be taken into account after a series of consultations.

“The reassurances were given by representatives of the Legacy Fund from Derry City Council.

“The exclusion of individual artists from the fund has angered elected members, particularly the representatives on the CPF who were elected to represent individual artists.”

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Derry City Council said a new closing date for applications has been agreed as Thursday (April 3).

Funding decisions will be made by the end of June and successful projects will begin from July 1.

Oonagh McGillion, Legacy Development Officer for Derry City Council said: “Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Derry City Council are pleased to announce there has been an extension to the original closing date for applications for Legacy Fund.

“The new closing date has been extended until 3rd April to allow for additional time to help facilitate groups and organizations to submit quality applications from the £900,000 available fund over the 3 year period.”

To download the application form and programme guidance notes please go to www.derrycity.gov.uk/Legacy