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Council expresses concern over low level of funding
8 February 2008
Belfast City Council has expressed concern about the low level of funding for community festivals in the city.
Politicians agreed this week to lobby other local councils on the issue to present a united front on their call for more government support.
Money for community festivals was previously administered through the NI Events Company on behalf of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure but under new proposals this will transfer to local authorities.
Belfast will now receive ₤77,300 – 17.17 per cent of the total ₤450,000. In 2007/8, ₤146,000 was granted to festivals in the city.
Councillor Michael Browne, Chairman of Belfast City Council’s Development Committee, fears that reduced funding will impact on Belfast’s status as a creative and cultural hub.
“This figure is substantially lower than the ₤146,000 previously awarded to community festivals in the city and we are also concerned that the necessary support is not there to staff the distribution of funds,” he said.
“In Belfast we host more festivals than anywhere else, including a large number organised by minority ethnic groups which draw from catchment areas well beyond the local authority boundaries.
“With more than 50 cultural festivals, including regional events and additional sporting showcases on the calendar, we are seriously concerned that the level of funding proposed will prove inadequate to meet the anticipated demands,” Councillor Browne added.
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