Culture funding

Bank of Ideas 2026

Bank of Ideas is a scheme where individuals and groups can submit their creative ideas for funding in their local area. To decide which projects are funded, the people of Belfast vote for their favourite projects. This year we were looking for ideas that align with the Fleadh Cheoil theme of 'Celebrating Together'.

Following our Bank of Ideas Voting Day on Sunday 10 May, our scheme will fund these projects:

City centre and citywide

• 5th Element - Freedom of The City
• Aisling McCormick - Pulse: Wellbeing Club Nights
• Belfast Trad - Tinteán - A Queer Trad Gathering
• Conor McKinney - In Our Nature - Dúchas
• Conradh na Gaeilge, I lár an Aonaigh - Irish Language Craft and Culture Market
• Duncairn and Belfast Castle Set Dancers - Nursing Home Ceilís and Traditional Music Sessions
• Informing Choices NI - The Birds, the Bees and the Fleadh
• Joe McKeown - Unplug and Recharge in Belfast's green spaces this summer - free tai chi wellbeing sessions
• Leo Fagan - Belfast Cycle Coop
• Ormeau Running Club - Belfast Fleadh Cheoil Chill Fun Run
• Queer Shed Bhéal Feirste - Skill sharing workshops for the LGBT+ Community
• The Big Ukulele Jam - A Community Play and Sing-Along  

South  

• Aoife de Bhál - Fálróid Forest School
• Arts Care and Sense – A Fleadh for All
• Chinese Welfare Association - Our Stories in Our Hands: Precious Stories, Treasured Objects and Celebrating Communities
• Flowers of Belfast – SWEET: Sudanese Women Empowering Each Other
• Happy Women’s Group - S.T.A.R. Women
• Open Ormeau - Ballynafest 2026, coming together through art and story
• Rosetta Primary PTA - A Celebration of our Community            

West   

• Angel Eyes NI - Accessible Braille Family Crest
• Belfast Playwrights - Drámaí Gaeilge 10 mBomaite - An evening of Irish language theatre
• Bog Meadows Gardeners - Restoring Roots
• St James’ Community Farm - Barnyard Boogie at St James' Community Farm
• Still I Rise - Belfast Belongs to Us: Young Voices through Storytelling
• Whiterock Child and Family Centre - Cultural Art Workshops for Children and Families
• Youth Initiatives - Youth Colour Ceilí  

North  

• Antoinette Campbell and Pearse Campbell, Wonder Bubble Magic
• Cliftonville Community Centre – Roots and Recipes
• Corrina Askin - The More The Merrier
• Eimear Maguire - Draw Out
• Full Circle Martial Arts - Safer. Seen. Stronger Together 
• Imagenation NI – Where Our Stories Meet
• The Oh Yeah Centre – The Jig of Life 

East     

• Andrew Cooke - Art is a Trade
• Binder and Ria Tohani - The Creative Wellbeing Project
• Boom Clap Play - Make and Play Block Party
• Deepika Gupta - Dance with Deepika
• Livi Dee - This Woman's Work: A Celebration of Art and Music
• Sara Drumond - The Roots of Resilience: A Creative Storytelling Project

Community Festivals Fund

Our Community Festivals Fund (CFF) provides grants ranging from £2,500 to £10,000 for local groups to run community-based festivals. The fund aims to increase social cohesion, celebrate cultural identity, and strengthen community relations through arts, heritage, and cultural events. These festivals are being supported by our Community Festivals Fund in 2026-2027:

• A Story of Christmas: Light across the Generations
• An Chruit Bheo, Harps Alive, Harps Leevin
• Ardoyne Community Festival 2026
• Belfast Guitar Festival
• Black History Month Mini Festival
• Bounce Arts Festival 26
• Bring a Little Light Festival
• CS Lewis Christmas Festival 2026
• Celebrating Sailortown
• Colin Summer Festival
• Feile na Carraige 2026
• Feile na Nollaig 2026
• Festival of the Bluebells 2026
• Fleadh Feirste
• Holiday Harmony
• Holyland Winter Festival
• Liu Lunasa
• May Day Belfast 2026: Tradition in Transition
• New Lodge Festival
• NI Mental Health Arts Festival
• Scoil Samhraidh Mhic Reachtain
• St Patrick’s Week in the Colin Area

Teenage Kicks micro-grants

We launched a micro grant programme called Teenage Kicks in February 2026.

We provided small grants to venues, festivals, promoters and organisations, to support high-quality gigs and concerts for people aged 18 and under. 

The grants helped applicants provide a safe musical experience in venues with no alcohol served at bars.

These grants are closed. Keep an eye on our events section for Teenage Kicks events.

Cultural Multi-Annual Grants

Our Cultural Multi-Annual Grants scheme offers two funding strands. The funding is available for two or four years. Under this scheme, we offer two funding strands which are available for two or four years.

This scheme includes:

Festivals and events grants

For festivals and events:

• four-year (2024-2028)
• two-year (2024-2026)

Arts and heritage grants

For  arts and heritage organisations with a year-round programme of activity:

• two-year (2024-2026)
• four-year (2024-2028)

Previous grants awarded

We keep a record of grants that we have awarded.