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Mike Moloney Arts Bursary Fund

Archived Adult Education/Learning Arts, culture and heritage Communities Craft and design Education and learning Offenders and ex-offenders Performing arts Verbal arts Visual arts and media Antrim & Newtownabbey Ards & North Down Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Belfast City Causeway Coast and Glens Derry City and Strabane Fermanagh and Omagh Lisburn and Castlereagh Mid and East Antrim Mid Ulster Newry, Mourne and Down Northern Ireland Micro (up to £1,000) Small (up to £10,000)

Overview

The bursary/grant is to pay for tailored mentoring by a local professional artist for individuals and to pay for projects that groups are being run to support ex prisoners who are interested in developing their artistic skills.

Criteria for individuals

To apply for the scheme, individual applicants must -

  • Clearly demonstrate a talent and motivation to undertake training, education, volunteering or employment within a clearly identified area of the arts
  • Be 18 years +
  • Be resident in the North of Ireland/Northern Ireland
  • Have served a prison sentence of at least 2 years within the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland
  • Have been released from prison in the last 3 years or be currently on pre-release
  • Have a project plan and have set realistic goals for the Mike Moloney bursary working with a professional mentor
  • Commit to meeting their mentor for a minimum of 4 regular sessions over a 6-month period
  • Have examples of their artistic practice that can be shared with the interview panel
  • Be prepared to participate in a bursary showcase event

Criteria for organisations

To apply for the scheme, organisations need to meet the following criteria -

  • Constituted organisations based in the North of Ireland/Northern Ireland
  • Hold a current account bank account
  • Have relevant policies and procedures in place eg: Vulnerable Adult Policy
  • In addition organisations should demonstrate that they:
  • Are working with ex-prisoners on entry level work into the arts world
  • That their project will support capacity building and confidence building for ex-prisoners to develop their arts interest
  • Have a project plan with realistic goals
  • Can showcase examples of the work with ex-prisoners at celebration events and other Foundation events and activities
  • Can provide an end of grant report showcasing the impact of this work

Example of funded activities might include:

  • Capacity building workshops and developmental activities with ex-prisoners, with an arts focus
  • Bursary for support expenses to enable an ex-prisoner to write a novel, participate in a performance or develop their field of interest