Department for Communities (Via Arts Council of NI): Stability and Renewal Programme for Organisations
Overview
This is the latest package of support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland on behalf of the Department for Communities which has included £1.9m for the Organisations Emergency Programme, and £3.8m under the Individuals Emergency Resilience Programme.
NB All organisations applying can contact the Arts Council for further advice before applying. Existing Arts Council clients should make contact with their Arts Council Officer before applying. All applications will be judged on merit, regardless of any previous relationship with the Arts Council or the Department for Communities.
Who can apply?
- Constituted organisations/companies whose primary purpose relates to the categories below and which carry out the majority of their work in Northern Ireland.
- Arts, cultural and community venues’ main use must be for one of the categories below, and may include arts, cultural and community centres, theatres, galleries, grassroots music venues, comedy venues.,
- Arts, culture and community organisations whose primary role is to create, present or support one (or more) of these categories:
- Dance
- Drama
- Literature
- Music and Opera
- Traditional Arts
- Visual Arts
- Performing arts and theatre
- Festivals and cultural events
- Participatory Arts
- Comedy
- Cross Art form
- Community Arts
- Creative Industries in the following segments:
- Independent Cinema
- Product Design, Fashion Design, and Graphic Design;
- Crafts;
- TV, Video, Photography, Film, and Radio;
Purpose of the fund
- Stabilising organisations financially to prevent closure and/or to allow continued delivery of outcomes and underpin longer-term changes
- Support the development of Renewal Plans where appropriate
Objectives of the fund
Organisations are encouraged to consider how they can contribute to the following key outcomes:
- Maintaining a balanced and sustainable sector for the longer term
- Tackling poverty and social exclusion
- Improving mental health and reducing isolation
- Responding to the needs of people with disabilities
- Ensuring diversity of opportunity across Section 75 categories
- Preserving jobs and underpinning job creation
- Supporting new skills development for those in most need
- Supporting and generating new apprenticeship opportunities
- Supporting individual artist residencies or projects
- Commissioning of new work for future presentation, including to new audiences
- Creating new partnerships with other organisations and individuals to devise new work/programmes of activity
- Digitising and adapting to changing audience, visitor and customer demands
- Increasing audiences, particularly those from the most deprived backgrounds and
- Minimising negative environmental impacts and promoting positive ones
How much funding is available?
It is unlikely that an individual award will exceed £500,000. In exceptional circumstances the Arts Council will consider requests for a larger award. In this case, you must contact the Arts Council prior to submitting an application. Please be realistic in your request as there will be considerable demand for these funds.
How will applications be assessed?
Applications will be assessed by ACNI with additional Expert Panel support selected to represent both diversity across Section 75 groups alongside expertise in academic, the creative industries including cinema, and commercial development.
Applications will be assessed against the agreed criteria in order to determine the level of financial need for immediate, recovery and renewal costs, with applications scored as Excellent, Good or Satisfactory.
Only Excellent applications will be funded immediately, with applications in the Good category potentially considered later, if sufficient budget remains.
Further Information
See the full Guidance Notes - PDF or Word
Please read the Guidance Notes and FAQs before completing and submitting your Application Form