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Date: 28 July 2025
Communities can take part in over 30 local creative projects this summer, and into the autumn, thanks to funding from Belfast City Council’s Bank of Ideas.
34 schemes, across all parts of the city, will share in £60,000 of grants made available through the participatory budgeting programme, now in its second year.
Over 1,000 votes were cast during a voting day at City Hall on Sunday 29 June, where visitors had their say in which projects received funding from more than 100 creative ideas.
Among the concepts coming out on top were a rock school for girls in Belfast city centre, a streetwear project for young people in the west of the city, a Viva Mexico celebration in south Belfast, the ‘People’s Pages’ writing and reading workshops in north Belfast and a community meal where people can get to know their neighbours better in the east.
Residents can get involved in projects as they are rolled out between August and November this year.
“Well done to all those projects who have been successful in this year’s Bank of Ideas,” said Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly.
“This is a really fun way to get people thinking of what it means to be creative and the many benefits creativity can bring to all of us – whether it’s meeting new people, learning new skills, spending time outdoors or just doing something totally different in your free time.
“We’ve had ideas from individuals, from existing groups and from like-minded people who have come together, through the programme, because they share a passion for something and they want others to experience it too.
“All the projects receiving funding are totally unique and are definitely worth checking out when they start to pop up in communities next month.”
The Bank of Ideas first opened its doors last year as part of the council’s Belfast 2024 celebration of culture and creativity.
It won the Engaging Community Award at the NI Local Government Awards 2025 and has been recognised by the United Cities Local Governments international jury as best practice of the UN Agenda 21 for Culture.
Amongst those receiving funding this year is social enterprise Happy Days, who plan to deliver an ‘all-ability Olympics’ for young adults with learning disabilities from the Ashton Centre in north Belfast next month.
Susie Vint, manager of the Happy Days project, said:
“Last year’s Happy Day Olympics gave us a taste of how competitive our group can be, and this makes for some great fun!
“Thanks to the funding from the Bank of Ideas, we’re delighted to take it to the next level this year – so it will be bigger, better and even more exciting.”