20/02/2008

£5m Funding For NI Creative Sector

A new £5 million fund for creative industries is set to develop business enterprise in Northern Ireland and to encourage its most talented people to 'shine on an international stage', Arts and Culture Minister Edwin Poots announced today.

The DUP MLA was speaking at the first Craft Northern Ireland Regional Conference in Lisburn.

The Creative Industries Seed Fund will provide direct support to emerging creative businesses, with issues such as business planning, marketing, access to venture capital, and intellectual property issues as well as start up finance.

Minister Poots said: "The creative industry in Northern Ireland is flourishing and expanding in areas such as digital media, film production, performing arts and music where there are viable business opportunities.

"I do not want the perceived barriers of business development to stifle the wonderful talent and imagination out there and that is why this fund will go some way towards encouraging the seeds of creativity to grow.

"The creative sector in Northern Ireland is extremely important, not only to economic growth, but also attracting tourism and helping to create a culture which inspires people from all walks of life," he said.

(CD)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

17 October 2008
Creative Grants Launched
Northern Ireland's creative industry is to get a fillip with news that the diverse sector is to benefit from a multi-million pound grant scheme.
19 July 2011
NI Focuses On Film, TV And Animation
A Stormont Minister is encouraging local firms to 'get creative' as new innovation fund is launched. The first round of awards will focus on digital content projects and will include businesses involved in animation, web and mobile content, e-learning, film, television and music.
03 December 2020
Additional £3.25m For Arts And Creative Sectors
An additional £3.25 million has been secured for individuals who work across the arts and wider creative economy, Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has announced. At a meeting with the sector the Minister outlined a further round of the Individuals Emergency Resilience Programme (IERP) will open for applications on December 17.
25 October 2005
Creativity boosting NI regeneration
Creativity is boosting Northern Ireland's social, cultural and economic regeneration, Culture Minister David Hanson has told an international conference in Belfast today.
23 August 2002
NI creative industries encouraged to fulfil potential
The Permanent Secretary of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Dr Aideen McGinley, has emphasised the importance of Northern Ireland’s creative industries’ sector fulfilling its potential.