Place, Identity & Art
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has recently launched a new fund. Place, Identity and Art has been established by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland as a result of the Renewing Communities Report, published in 2006, which is the Government's response to the report of the Taskforce on Protestant Working Class Communities. The report has identified groups who experience rural isolation and those who cannot accept Lottery funding as being in need of additional support.
The aim of this £200,000 programme is to help small groups in Protestant working class communities engage with professional artists to promote culture and the arts within their local communities. The programme will fund projects which involve people in their own communities, bringing them together to enjoy a wide range of arts activities. Well thought-out activities meet community needs better and have the most impact.
Any group who for ethical reasons cannot accept Lottery funding, based in a Protestant working class community, either urban or rural, and needing between £500 and £5,000, Place, Identity and Art could be the answer. Arts organizations working in partnership with such a community are eligible to apply.
Guidance notes and an application form are available from the Arts Council website at http://www.artscouncil-ni.org or by contacting the Arts Development Officer, Joan Dempster, on 028 9038 5247 or email jdempster@artscouncil-ni.org