More than half of the Arts Council’s main funding goes directly to the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland. This is just one of the findings of analysis revealed today at the launch of the Arts Council’s Annual Review, 2007/8.
Arts Council Chief Executive Roisin McDonough demonstrates funding distribution model
Speaking at the launch, Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland said, “This research on Arts Council funding refutes two commonly held beliefs about where and how arts funding is spent - key findings show that arts funding is neither ‘a middle income, middle class interest’ nor is it ‘centred on Belfast’. In fact the arts engage fully across all areas of society; 56% of main Arts Council funding has gone directly to the most deprived areas in Northern Ireland and there is a wide geographical spread of other funding streams outside Belfast.
She continued, “We tailor our programmes to meet the changing needs of our artists and of Northern Ireland society as a whole and our funding has a direct impact on the range and availability of arts activities throughout the region.
Concluding, Roisín said “In 2008 the Arts Council also achieved its ambition to provide a dedicated arts facility within 20 miles of every person living in Northern Ireland. Even in a time of economic downturn the arts remain within the reach of everyone, delivering value for money and often free to the public”.
There is a wide geographical spread of other Arts Council funding, as illustrated by the awards made outside Belfast, for example: 85% (£2.03m) of Art of Regeneration Programme, 73% (£24.4m) of Capital Building Awards (since 1995) and 58% (£1.4m) of Re-imaging Communities Programme.
The Arts Council’s new, easy-to-read Annual Review, 2007- 08 included many of the highlights within the year, including the ‘Keep Our Arts Alive Campaign’ which resulted in a much-needed uplift in funding for the arts under the Programme for Government budget. Also the visit of Hollywood actress Meryl Streep, as she helped to raise funds for the development of a Metropolitan Arts Centre for Belfast and major awards made to many talented individual artists and organisations across Northern Ireland.
The document is available electronically.