Ulster Scots Agency: Voluntary and Community Groups
Overview
The Agency can provide support for various Ulster-Scots events/projects. Funding is available to individuals, community groups and non-profit making organisations that carry out activities in line with the Agency’s aims and objectives and would not otherwise have the necessary resources.
The Agency is prepared to consider for assistance applications which have an Ulster-Scots dimension and which fall within the following general categories:
Workshops, conferences, courses, events, tuition, classes, research etc in the areas of:
- Linguistic development
- Culture including:
- Music and song, including bagpipes, drumming, flute, fife, fiddle, accordion and tin whistle;
- Literature, including poetry
- History, including genealogy
- Drama, including pageants and re-enactments
- Storytelling
- Painting and design, including costume design and other cultural artefacts
- Museum collections and archiving projects
- Dance – including Highland, Scottish country and traditional set dancing e.g. quadrilles, lancers and Caledonians
- The visual arts and media
- or any other expressions of Ulster-Scots culture approved by the Agency.
The Agency may give consideration to and provide limited support where travel is an essential part of a project which meets the Agency’s objectives or Corporate strategies or business plan targets. Within this the Agency may provide assistance to;
- Community representatives who need to travel to undertake research which will lead to a report or publication which the Agency would deem to benefit the promotion or understanding of Ulster Scots language, culture or history
- Conference attendees who are attending a conference or seminar which will be of benefit to the promotion or understanding of Ulster Scots language, culture or history and who will provide a report to the Agency.
- Community representatives who need to travel to undertake joint projects with Scottish based groups which ultimately will benefit Ulster Scots language, culture or history.
- Additionally in recognition of demand for highland dance tutors outweighing supply; travel expenses for highland dance tutors will be eligible for funding.
The Agency provides a maximum level of funding of 75% of total project costs for eligible items of expenditure. The exception to this is in the case of language projects where the Board can approve funding up to 100% of the cost of items of eligible expenditure to promote and advance the language.