Arts Council invests in building arts infrastructure
Every person living in Northern Ireland now has access to a dedicated arts facility in their region thanks to an investment of £33 million by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
The funding, channelled into local arts centres over the last 15 years, has provided Northern Ireland with modern facilities which will continue to boost and revitalise our towns and cities. The investment forms part of a wider government strategy to enhance the local arts infrastructure, bringing venues here up to an international standard.
This sustained commitment to investment has led to the completion of such state-of-the-art buildings as the Marketplace Theatre in Armagh City, the Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre in Cookstown, the Millennium Forum and Verbal Arts Centre in Derry City, the Island Arts Centre in Lisburn City, the Millennium Court Arts Centre in Portadown, the Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart and most recently Braid in Ballymena, Alley in Strabane and Strule in Omagh.
In the last year alone the Arts Council has invested some £2.4 million towards the building and refurbishment of arts venues. Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented: “We know that a very small investment in the arts goes a very long way, with every £1 invested by the Arts Council returning over three-times that amount into the local economy.
“Investment in larger and better arts facilities will allow educational programmes and outreach projects to expand, encouraging wider community involvement and increased opportunities to participate. However, investment in venues goes further than supporting the local arts; it’s also about contributing to the cultural, social and economic life of our towns and cities, encouraging more visitors to Northern Ireland and providing the facilities required for the best international companies to bring their performances to venues.”
Currently there is an emphasis on strengthening the infrastructure in Derry and Belfast. Derry now boasts buildings the striking new Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, and the newly refurbished Playhouse and Waterside Theatre, while Belfast’s Ulster Hall and Grand Opera House have both received extensive facelifts. Other buildings projects in the pipeline include The Crescent, Lyric and The MAC.
However it is not just these flagship buildings which have benefited from the funding boost. Having achieved the objective of providing a dedicated arts facility within a 20 mile radius of every person in Northern Ireland, the Arts Council continues to fill any remaining gaps in provision through a series of small refurbishment projects across Northern Ireland.