Fifty-one community groups and arts organisations in rural communities across Northern Ireland set to benefit from the fourth round of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s National Lottery Rural Engagement Arts Programme (REAP), with an investment of £349,553. Twelve organisations in the Derry~Londonderry & Strabane areas have been awarded funding towards a series of engaging arts projects. The organisations include Access to Arts for All NI, Allegri, Conductology C.I.C., Derry & Raphoe Action, Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company, In Your Space Circus, Live Music Now, Music Kin C.I.C., North West Carnival Initiative, Northern Lights Project, Obon on the Foyle Festival and Verbal Arts Centre NI.
The National Lottery Rural Engagement Arts Programme, was established in 2022 with the aim of providing an integrated, cohesive approach to the needs of rural communities as they emerged from the global Covid-19 pandemic. The overarching theme of the programme is to tackle isolation and loneliness and promote social inclusion and wellbeing through participation in the arts for those living in rural communities.
The National Lottery Rural Engagement Arts Programme is one of the Arts Council’s core National Lottery programme areas. Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to make this funding available to rural communities, especially as we celebrate the 30th birthday of The National Lottery. We know that taking part in arts activities brings people and communities closer together, raises self-esteem, boosts confidence and motivation, as well as alleviates isolation and loneliness.
“Thanks to The National Lottery players, this game-changing funding from the National Lottery Rural Engagement Arts Programme has supported 184 rural arts projects with total National Lottery funding of £1,239,633 since its establishment in 2022.
“The programme has been making positive impacts in NI’s rural communities by increasing opportunities for people to engage and participate in meaningful arts activities, enriching their lives for the better. The Arts Council believes that arts, and coming together as communities, can all make a vital contribution to building wellbeing, confidence, and healthy, integrated communities.”
Some of the projects set to benefit communities in Derry~Londonderry & Strabane are outlined below.
Access to Arts for All NI.
Funding amount offered: £3,920.
Project title: Accessing Arts in Rural Communities.
The project will deliver arts-based activities in rural communities within the Derry City and Strabane and Causeway Coast and Glens Council areas, with the aim of bringing people together who have limited opportunities to access the arts, improving their health and wellbeing, and stimulating future involvement in arts-based activities. Project partners, who will help support delivery in Castlederg, Claudy, Eglinton and Newbuildings include Learmount Community Centre, Newbuildings Community Centre, Derg Valley Care and Eglinton Community Centre. Activities will include Moves and Melodies, Dementia-Friendly Tea Dance and Act Your Age Drama workshops.
Allegri.
Funding amount offered: £7,675.
Project title: In Rural Harmony - the mission continues.
This project aims to address social isolation and loneliness in rural areas including Strathfoyle, Eglinton, Strabane and Park. The project will provide opportunities for social and cross-community interaction through music as well delivering an arts project that will contribute to the growth of arts in the community and encourage new and existing audiences. Activities will include an older person’s choir in Eglinton, and the project will also engage fifty young people, aged 8-15, in a series of free choral rehearsals where they will collaborate with twenty young people from Cookstown Youth Choir in a day of open workshops at the Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy. Finally the project will deliver a six-week music programme to those living with dementia in partnership with Dementia Empowered and Engaged Derry and Strabane.
Conductology C.I.C.
Funding amount offered: £6,440.
Project title: Everyone Can Play.
The project, Everyone Can Play, will consist of six weekly rehearsal sessions with the Conductology ensemble. The musicians will rehearse and refine a programme of semi-structured pieces using the Conductology system. On week seven, the ensemble will host an interactive event to school professionals and on week eight the ensemble will host their first album launch. Additionally, research will be conducted throughout the project, and data gathered, analysed and presented in a Research Impact Document which will be circulated to all schools within the Causeway Coast and Glens borough.
To view the full list of those offered funding visit https://artscouncil-ni.s3-assets.com/acni-reap-awards-24-25.pdf