Applications sought for festivals funding

Belfast City Council has called for applications for a new Community Festival Fund, which will help community and festival organisations deliver new arts or cultural festival programmes.

Around £60,000 of funding has been made available through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s ‘Art of Regeneration’ programme, and will help to lay foundations for cultural activity in communities beyond this year’s ‘Celebrate Belfast’ programme of events.

Over 50 festivals take place in Belfast every year with more than half a million people attending last year.

Belfast City Council co-ordinates a Festivals Forum which aims to improve and develop its current membership base of 60 festivals’ skills and expertise, share resources and information, coordinate programming and build networks and partnerships among festival organisers.

It gives members invaluable opportunities to develop skills in a variety of areas, including management and governance, planning and marketing.

Festivals are a major feature of the ongoing ‘Celebrate Belfast 2006’ programme and Belfast City Council is investing in festivals right across the cultural spectrum, as well as helping to develop festival performance and management skills through special programmes.

Councillor Bernie Kelly, Chairman of Belfast City Council’s Arts Sub-Committee said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this boost to communities here. This fund will help local people creatively address some of the social challenges facing them – either directly, through a community organisation, or in partnership with an existing cultural festival.

“We’re seeking creative proposals which will help people think more positively about their environment, encouraging good relations and discouraging anti-social behaviour. We know that making Belfast a better place to live in, work in and visit is dependent on us tackling those very issues and cultural festivals provide a powerful means of achieving those aims.”

It is expected that most requests will be between £3,000 and £10,000, with the average award being approximately £5,000.

(EF/SP)