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Future of art deco cinema secured with funding boost

Date: 18 Jan 2023


Belfast city skyline with Belfast City Hall dome visible against a cloudy blue sky.

Belfast’s only art-deco cinema has been awarded £4 million funding following a successful application by Belfast City Council for the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The Strand Picturehouse in east Belfast is one of 10 projects in Northern Ireland receiving grants.

The multi-million pound award - along with additional investment by Belfast City Council  - will secure the cinema’s future by funding urgent works. It will also be used to create a multi-functional arts space, and go towards preserving and showcasing Northern Ireland’s cinema heritage.
 
A total of 10 projects in Northern Ireland have been allocated more than £71 million from round two of the government’s Levelling Up Fund. The projects will create jobs, drive economic growth, help restore people’s pride in the places where they live and spread opportunity more equally.  
 
This will drive forward the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy by levelling up and provide the foundations for building a better future in communities across the UK. By working together the UK is better able to collectively tackle the individual challenges faced by every region and nation across the country. 
 
The major investment announced today follows the allocation of £1.7 billion to 105 projects from round one of the Levelling Up Fund in 2021– taking the total allocated so far from the fund to £3.8 billion.  
 
The Government has also confirmed there will be a further round of the Levelling Up Fund, providing more opportunity to level up places across the UK.    

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