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Tourism and culture

Culture funding

  • Artist Studios and Maker Spaces Organisational Grants 2023/24

    The Artist Studios and Maker Spaces Organisational Grants are part of our commitment to cultural recovery and our ongoing A City Imagining cultural investment programme for Belfast.

    These awards are aimed at those organisations which have struggled to secure funding from Belfast City Council through existing programmes and need some assistance to help stabilise and develop.

    Organisations or groups operating artist studios and maker spaces can apply for up to £15,000 to use towards specified developmental needs within a 12 month period.

    Exceptional cases can be made for the award of grants up to £25,000 by organisations that accommodate at least 20 active members, and which meet additional eligibility criteria and supply a suitable business case. 

    Please contact culture@belfastcity.gov.uk to request guidance notes and application form. 

    Please read these guidance notes before you complete the application form, which commences on page seven.  If you have any queries or wish to discuss your project with a member of staff, please contact us by email culture@belfastcity.gov.uk

    A short online information event will take place on at 12 noon Tuesday 20 June. Please request the relevant link to join via email.  We can also arrange an online appointment or telephone call with you for advice on request, dependent on staff availability.  

    Deadline for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 27 June.

  • Creative Bursary Scheme 2023-2024

    Updated at 12 noon on Thursday 16 March 2023

    The scheme is closed to applications.

  • Cultural Multi-Annual Grants 2022 to 2024

    Our Cultural Multi-Annual Grants scheme is one of the key outputs of our cultural strategy. Under this scheme, we offer two funding strands which are available for two or four years.

    Grants awarded every two years

    Activate grants are for festivals and events. Enable grants are given to arts and heritage organisations.

    Grants awarded every four years

    Imagine grants are for festivals and events. Anchor grants are given to arts and heritage organisations.

  • Grants awarded to arts organisations in 2020

    Anchor grants are for four years (2020 to 2024). We awarded Anchor grants to the nine organisations in this table. Each link opens in a new window.

    Organisation Web
    Crescent Arts Centre Crescent Arts 
    Ulster Orchestra Society Ltd Ulster Orchestra 
    The MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre) The Mac Live 
    Duncairn Arts Centre The Duncairn 

    Oh Yeah Music Centre

    Oh Yeah Belfast 
    Lyric Theatre (NI) Lyric Theatre 
    Belfast Community Circus School Ltd Circusful
    Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich Culturlann 
    The Black Box Trust Black Box Belfast 

    If you would like information on recent funding awards, case studies of recipients or our guide on cultural funding, contact us by email: culture@belfastcity.gov.uk

  • Imagine grants awarded in 2020

    Imagine festivals and events grants are for four years (2020 to 2024). We awarded Imagine grants to the four organisations in this table. Web links are given for events and festivals. Each link opens in a new window.

    Organisation Event or festival
    ArtsEkta Belfast Mela 
    Féile an Phobail  Féile an Phobail August Festival
    Young at Art  Belfast Children’s Festival  
    NI Science Festival NI Science Festival 
  • Activate and Enable grants awarded in 2022

    Activate festivals and events grants are for two years, 2022 to 2024. In April 2022 we awarded Activate grants to the 15 organisations in this table. Each link opens in a new window.

    Organisation Web
    Féile an Phobail Spring Fest Féile Belfast
    Belfast Photo Fest Belfast Photo Festival
    Belfast International Arts Festival Belfast International Arts Festival
    Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival CQAF
    Outburst Arts Festival Outburst Arts 
    Eastside Arts Festival Eastside Arts
    Festival of Fools Fools Festival
    Belfast Film Festival Belfast Film Festival
    Belfast City Marathon Belfast City Marathon
    Docs Ireland Docs Ireland
    CQAF Out To Lunch CQAF
    Belfast Summer School Trad Music Belfast Traditional Music
    CineMagic Cinemagic
    Imagine Belfast Imagine Belfast
    Odyssey Trust Friendship Four The Odyssey

    Enable grants are for two years (2022 to 2024). In April 2022 we awarded Enable grants to the 27 arts organisations in this table. Each link opens in a new window.

    Organisation Web
    Strand Arts Centre Strand Arts Centre
    Belfast Exposed Belfast Exposed
    Maiden Voyage Dance Maiden Voyage Dance
    Prime Cut Primecut Productions
    Golden Thread Gallery Golden Thread Gallery
    Moving on Music Moving on Music
    Kids in Control Kids in Control
    Nerve Centre Nerve Centre
    Dumbworld Dumbworld
    Replay Replay Theatre
    Kabosh Kabosh
    Community Arts Partnership CAP Arts Centre
    DU Dance DU DanceNI
    Bruiser Bruiser Theatre
    Open Arts Open Arts
    Terra Nova Terra Nova Productions
    Beat Beat carnival
    Photo Works North/Source Photoworks
    YouthAction Youth Action
    University of Atypical University of Atypical
    Streetwise Streetwise Community Circus
    Wheelworks Wheelworks Arts
    Cuman Culturtha Mhic Reachtain MhicReachtain
    QFT Queen's Film Theatre
    Fighting Words Fighting Words
    Belfast Library and Society for Promoting Knowledge (Linen Hall Library) Linenhall
    An Droichead An Droichead

Culture

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