April Fools, 2025

April 1st. The day of fools. But for Northern Ireland’s arts sector, April Fools’ Day has lost all novelty—it’s just another date on the calendar when absurdity takes centre stage.

Today marks the beginning of the new financial year. Not a single annually funded arts organisation has received a Letter of Offer from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. No one even knows if they met the threshold to receive funding. We are now officially into a new working year with not a penny of funding in place, no contracts signed, no safety net, no core support from our principal funder - just a hope that something might land in the inbox before insolvency kicks in, or the protective redundancy notices get sent.

Last year, this situation was unprecedented. It was truly shocking. In 25 years, I’d never known such an instance.  Bear in mind that in that quarter of a century, the arts have professionalised massively here. And the whole area of applied creativity is so embedded in every facet of publicly funded arts services right across the country.  But for this to happen again - this year, with all we know, with all we have said, with all the evidence that we continue to lay out? That’s not just alarming any more ; it’s absurd. Who was it that said: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” That’s right, apparently the same fellow who said “Not everything that counts can be counted.” Go figure Einstein!

Given the year we’ve just had, what’s the strategy to take things forward? The Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s 10-Year Strategic Plan, 2024–34 - which had only recently been developed through extensive consultation and which has guided every funding application over the past year, seems to have been effectively pushed aside. Now, whatever you may feel about such strategies , we all need parameters to work within, especially when we anticipate gaining investment from the hard-pressed public purse. And we know that despite that corporate language and the objectives, this is intended to support the creative sector here and all that flows from that. But that sectoral engagement and those ambitions have seemingly been overwritten by just a few lines in a ministerial statement and a Letter of Expectations. And when you compare the broad, ambitious aims of the ACNI strategy - supporting artistic excellence, inclusion, sustainability, and access across all communities - with the minister’s rather minimalist declaration and somewhat vague expectations, whilst the contrast in presentation could not be starker, there seems to be so much alignment in the substantive priorities and direction: wellbeing, inclusion, community engagement, creative participation, and collaboration. So why, then, the realignment? Why the implication that what we have all been doing over the years has somehow failed, when the strategic direction of travel already broadly matches? Priorities such as widening participation, enhancing inclusion, fostering innovation, and contributing to wellbeing are present in both. Given this alignment, it is reasonable to ask: why introduce ambiguity, risk, and delay when the means to deliver those objectives are in place? 

And, if that isn’t the case, what is? Where is the ministerial strategy for the arts… what's the timeline?

Meanwhile, our Programme for Government, for what it's worth, talks of wellbeing. Of tackling inequality. Of cross-departmental collaboration. Of investing in people, place, and opportunity. But how does it square with the fact that not one arts organisation knows if it can keep its staff, deliver its projects, or even pay the electricity bill?

What’s more, every publicly funded arts organisation in this country is governed by unpaid trustees, (directors and board members), whose own personal liability is the guarantee that underpins all these charities. And all publicly-funded arts organisations are charities, with objectives approved by the government, to carry out fundamentally beneficial support to our society. Each and every one of them. Its volunteers who offer oversight to them, who are charged with the responsibility to ensure that their charities are run safely and compliantly. What do these people do today, as a whole sector holds its breath…again? Do they have reserves? Is it too risky to operate a charity in this situation, with no surety about anything? Should their risk registers light up red across the board? At what point do these organisations fall foul of charitable legislation around illegal trading? Is this the way good governance works or do those politically charged with supporting the arts bear some responsibility too?

The PfG talks more about enabling sectors to flourish. It talks about innovation, creative industries, skills development, cultural inclusion, and mental health. It gestures toward a vision of a joined-up, vibrant society. But on the ground? The people delivering all that vision: the organisations, volunteers, artists, facilitators, and communities, what do they get?

Yes, this April Fools day, just who are the fools? It's us isn’t it?

Because we are asked to believe. To trust that funding will come, with no guarantee it will. That a strategy is coming. That investment is on its way. Are we deluded? 

Despite it all, the sector endures. It adapts. Perhaps foolishly, it still shows up. But let’s not mistake that faltering resilience for consent. Let's not pretend that the sector's determination is a vote of confidence in all this. People have mortgages, dependents and families, responsibilities… and loads of skill and ambition.

Elsewhere in the UK, investment in culture is being ramped up. Grand announcements. Real money. Concrete commitments. Here? We’re still waiting …

So again: are we the fools?

The ones who still perform on the high wire—with no safety net in place, only protective redundancy notices waiting in the wings? The ones who must keep their balance while the ground beneath them shifts unpredictably? 

The minister first announced “new priorities” back in July 2024. It’s now April 2025. So:

Where is the strategy?

When will we see a draft?

Who has been consulted in its development?

When will the statutory consultation begin?

And what will the timeline be for implementation?

Because if this drags on, we may well find ourselves at the end of 2025, once again facing a December deadline for annual funding applications without a coherent strategy to apply to… And what then? Will it be the same next year? Will this whole sector be asked to suspend disbelief again and accept this narrative, this continuing drama?

And why, having refined so many multiple cultural strategies, reports, and consultative frameworks (culminating in the ground-breaking cross-departmental co-designed Investing in Creative Delivery 2023, which took two years and involved expert input from all corners of culture arts and heritage sectors), does government continue to rewrite the script? Why, when representatives and leaders responded to the challenge and have co-designed and collaboratively developed expressing articulately, objectively, just where culture, arts and heritage are and how they can be better supported, why is all that being sidelined, as we wait for piecemeal strategies, one for the arts, one for culture… all apparently coming soon? 

I recall being at a meeting, way back in 2003, where representatives from across those self-same sectors bemoaned the fact that we continued to have work in silos instead of recognising how interconnected our processes could become and how much more effective our collective creative and community facing support could be. That was 22 years ago. As glaciers recede at a frightening pace across the globe, we can no longer point to their incremental pace…Culture and arts and heritage don't live in isolation  - they live in schools, in hospitals, in youth centres, businesses, in streets and city halls, old people's residential care, as well as theatres, pubs, institutions, museums, libraries, tourist attractions…They underpin who we are and what we do. They are interconnected. They are the very basis of how we see ourselves and how we let others see us. 

And the ministerial Letter of Expectations of February this year, talks about respect, pointedly saying that funding must not support anything “disrespectful of any tradition.” What does that mean? Is it disrespectful to our tradition of making art in our community, our long established customs of supporting truly ground-breaking arts organisations and artists, to now further destabilise the work we do, the work we have shown to be exemplary, compliant with all existing ambitions and objectives; produced year on year despite the worst levels of under-investment in these islands for decades? Does that constitute respect? Is it respectful to the communities of interest, practice or place, communities on the very margins of society, and our artists and artisans, musicians and facilitators, or those whose ethnicity or perhaps disability creates even more obstacles to participate in the cultural life of this place… does it show respect for all our collective traditions and ambitions to have everyone hold their breath, performing a high wire act without a safety net?

Are artists meant to tiptoe quietly around everyone and everything; every interpretation of identity, history, or society? Has the traditional role of art making changed? And if we are to be told that it has, how do we respond? Will we be informed just how in the new strategy? 

And yet, across the water, in Westminster, Jennie Lee’s legacy from 1948 is being invoked again. Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for DCMS, speaks of arts everywhere, of £270 million in new funding, of a renewed cultural compact with communities. Fit-for-purpose infrastructure. A vision of culture embedded in everyday life. A moment of renewal for citizens of …well not here. Because let’s be absolutely clear - UK arts policy has no impact in Northern Ireland. These announcements don’t trickle down or across. Even when there is a Barnett consequential, would we see any of that additional money that represents that hope of renewal? No,  the funding gets swallowed up in the Northern Ireland block grant, never to be ring-fenced or invested in our local cultural infrastructure. Not a penny of that cultural succour is guaranteed for any artist or organisation, or venue here. Or has there been a statement in that regard that I foolishly missed? Unfortunately, no, there hasn’t. 

So whilst we might applaud the creative ambition of “across the water”, we are not even an audience…just bystanders. 

So maybe that’s the ultimate April Fool’s, beyond the joke. That we keep going. That we do it for love, for community, for passionate belief. That we somehow convince ourselves that holding it all together is enough, is a necessity turned virtue. But is it? The definition of resilience is not being overwhelmed. 

So no, perhaps we shouldn’t smile politely through this one, on this April Fool’s Day…

Five Years On: locking down

March 2020 was a time of huge uncertainty. Information was conflicting, government advice was unclear, and the arts sector—like many others—was left wondering how best to proceed. As CEO of Community Arts Partnership, I found myself facing a difficult decision: whether to wait for official mandates or to act pre-emptively to protect staff, artists, and the communities we served. I consulted our board and impressed on them the urgency I felt. 

We decided to close our doors before government restrictions were enforced. It was not an easy decision. The weight of responsibility was immense, and there was no precedent for a crisis of this magnitude. Where some in the contemporaneous media questioned whether it was necessary, for me and our staff and board, we expressed relief, understanding quickly and sympathetically the seriousness of the situation. That early decision to shut down all direct contact work marked the beginning of a long and challenging road.

Closing the doors was just the first step. The immediate challenge was figuring out how to keep things going in a world that had suddenly shifted online. The scramble to adapt was chaotic: staff members had to set up home offices overnight, artists needed to find new ways to engage with their audiences, and community groups—many of whom relied on face-to-face interaction—had to adjust to digital platforms that were unfamiliar and, in many cases, inadequate for the kind of work they did.

Some aspects of the transition worked better than expected. Digital meetings and collaborative tools became lifelines, allowing work to continue in a way that wouldn’t have been possible even a decade earlier. But there were also gaps. Not all projects could be transferred online, and for some artists, the shift to digital engagement meant an immediate and perilous loss of income and opportunity. We found ways to support. We signposted and we filmed; we edited, we zoomed and then we zoomed some more. The shift wasn’t just logistical; it had a profound emotional and psychological impact on everyone involved. And for the very vulnerable, it meant trying our very best to offer some continuity. 

With everything in flux, maintaining financial stability was of course a critical concern. Arts organisations faced an existential crisis, with many fearing they would not survive. Many artists went into freefall. The government response provided some relief: Northern Ireland received £33 million from the UK’s £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund, which provided emergency grants to many. But it was understandably and regrettably slow. The Culture, Arts & Heritage Recovery Taskforce was established in May 2021 to oversee the sector’s reopening and long-term recovery. These interventions helped sustain many organisations through the worst of the crisis, but they were not a panacea, even if they had all been realised. And for a sector that was already struggling with decades of systemic underinvestment, artists bore the brunt of it. And so they left, or took any job to get by, or went to ground, unhappy, isolated and alone. 

For us in CAP, securing funding meant constant engagement with funders and policymakers, making the case for why community arts mattered even more in a pandemic. Some programmes had to be adapted or scaled back, while others found new life in digital formats. The efforts of the sector were so evident, but so was the vulnerability. 

What began as an emergency measure gradually became a long-term reality. Remote work, once seen as a temporary solution, became an embedded part of how arts organisations function. Even as restrictions eased, many aspects of remote working remained, changing the nature of collaboration and engagement. Even this year, after five years, some of the remote still remains. 

The shift had both positive and negative consequences. On the one hand, it has allowed for greater flexibility, reduced travel time, and enabled wider participation in meetings, workshops and events. On the other, it led to the loss of physical creative spaces, disrupted all the informal networking opportunities, all the chats and craic, and left some artists and many communities feeling utterly isolated, burnt out and vulnerable. The community arts sector, which thrives on in-person interaction, had to find new ways to build connections and foster collaboration.

Beyond the logistical and financial challenges, there was an even greater toll: the human cost. The pandemic took lives. Friends, colleagues, and community members were lost. Not necessarily to Covid 19 but those remote funerals became the only option for so many, stripping away the opportunity for collective mourning and leaving many with that grief unresolved. It also completely shifted school age kids towards even more screen time, on their own or at least, alone in an online connected labyrinth. Many still haven't bounced back from the isolation, the torturous home-schooling and lack of contact with peers and friends. For a great many, the effect of the pandemic will be felt for many years yet. 

The impact of these losses was profound, and the sense of isolation only made it harder to process. Our work in the arts, which is built on relationships and shared experiences, had to navigate not just professional challenges but that deep personal challenge. Even now, five years since it all started, we can all still sense the echoes of that grief and loss. Standing outside, apart.

Looking back, the decision to close down face to face work ahead of government mandates was the right one. It prioritised the health and safety of those we served, even if it came at a cost. It kept vulnerable staff members safe too. But no one knew how long it would all take and while many just lashed out at anything and everything, the careful and considerate took a beat and kept on working.

The pandemic may have indeed forced a re-evaluation of how arts organisations operate, highlighting the sheer immense vulnerability that we all share in times of crisis, but it also put us more in touch with those people and communities already challenged by health issues or those already struggling on the margins. The exacerbation of every deficit and difficulty was the pandemics long lasting price.

Where some aspects of the sector have recovered, others remain in flux. Face to face working is more prized than ever but while digital engagement has reshaped how many work, it has also become way more complicated and indeed, unsure. Spam, junk, scams, clones. They’re all more dangerously rampant than ever now . And AI seems to have only accelerated the level of level of everything - albeit washed in lazy computer generated platitudes and inaccuracies. Reaching out? Please, get a grip!

Remember building back fairer (never mind better, which was a forlorn hope, dashed hopelessly early). As the emergency funds are a thing of the past and everyone is fighting for funds from every possible avenue, the question now is not just how we rebuild, but how we ensure that the lessons of the past five years are not forgotten. How do we create a more sustainable, adaptable, and inclusive arts sector when there is little by way of new investment? How, when the arts have been summarily de-prioritised by our central government in the Assembly's PfG and replaced with top down short term missives about new priorities without any new monies, how do we survive, never mind grow? And how do we honour those that worked so hard and gave so much, at personal and often professional cost, along the way? Five years on, there are more questions than answers. The arts did matter…they should still. 

Community Arts Partnership … 25 years on

My personal and professional gratitude to everyone, over all the years. 

In 1999, Martin Lynch had another of his great ideas. At this time, the creativity was sparking in the Community Arts Forum offices, with Martin leading a creative revolution in the town and inspiring community groups to write and perform dramas about their lives and their ambitions for them. Martin was constantly looking for funding and the European Peace Funds had been announced. A funding initiative that would hopefully cement the fledgling Good Friday Agreement of 1998, into the hearts and minds of civil society and offer everyone a platform for progress. So, having investigated, Martin thought “ Why not take advantage of all this peace funding for consortium groups and build a new network of community arts  and community development organisations across Belfast?” 

And, so, after wrangling a grouping from all arts and parts of the city, he determinedly brought together leaders from loyalist and republican areas, unionist and nationalist and representatives of minority ethnic groups as well. Thus New Belfast Community Arts Initiative was conceived, somewhat immaculately, and duly signed into existence on 22nd December 1999. 

Just two days later, on Christmas Eve 1999, my own father Jim, took his final breaths, aged just 59. He had suffered from the most inhumane of medical conditions, leaving him trapped, fully-conscious, in his totally disabled body, for many years. I had been his carer for 7 years at that point and had dreaded this day. However it was of course a welcome release from torment for a beautiful man who had suffered so terribly for those years at the close of a millennium. 

As the new century and millennium kicked off, Belfast was emerging from the pall of conflict and into the political pressure cooker of peace and hard won progress. Or at least that was the hope. And whilst optimism was abundant, there was growing evidence that financial support might be too, as Martin Lynch has since remarked about this time, when the Labour government in Britain ‘turned on the taps” - and funding finally flowed into so many arts and parts of this wee corner of the world. 

And as I returned to the world of work and creativity, opportunities started to show themselves. As a musician, I was playing for Tinderbox, Kabosh, Youth Lyric among others, as a stage manager for Belfast Children's Festival and others and then, of course, well, I got a gig with New Belfast Community Arts Initiative. 

New Belfast had a new coordinator, with Lizzie Devlin (now a longstanding stalwart in the Arts Council) having been replaced by the ever-thoughtful Joe Sheehy (RIP) in early 2001. Joe offered a young skinny me an opportunity - taking groups on song-writing workshops. Joe was aided and abetted now by one Geoff Harden - Belfast’s own ‘whispering bob’, a man with a plummy Home Counties voice who established the Sunflower Folk Club and was a mainstay of the Belfast Folk Festival, having run the Medway Folk Club in Kent for many years in the late 60s and 70s. And of course, there was a rather quirky American who ran a poetry programme and could be heard chatting animatedly about anything and everything from Wisconsin to Belfast and back - Josh Schultz. Also in that team at that time, was a fresh-faced artist called Sally Young and a rather spritely Grainne Kielty. Of course, there were many others but these folk were the mainstays back then. 

And as Belfast and the North, contorted in political stand-offs, street violence, and finger-pointing, the arts organisations in Belfast were showing citizens what they had missed over all the darker days. Music, visual arts, theatre, street spectacle, festivals, ideas, poetry, film - it was all happening within communities not previously known for their artistic prowess perhaps. New Belfast wasn’t just a community arts organisation - it was now a tangible shift that everyone in the city could begin to feel. 

I had been assisting Joe Sheehy, Geoff and Josh, and their new chair Joe McVey,  re-developing the basis of how a city-wide consortium could leverage greater creative and community benefits and with our success, I managed to secure the role of programme director and indeed, I’ve been privileged to hold that role (albeit the name has changed)  ever since. 

Births and deaths, birthdays and anniversaries. The world has so many cyclic turns and twists but still keeps on spinning. 

And in the 25 years, New Belfast became Community Arts Partnership, after the merger with the CAF back in 2011, there have of course been many births - of people who would grow up to enjoy making poetry or art in their school or community centre, but also of programmes and projects, ideas and organisations. All creating new connections as the tissues and fibres of Belfast’s broken bones and Northern Ireland’s divided communities started to knit and heal. 

And of course, over that time , there were great losses too. 

If the larger than life Terri Hooley is the Godfather of Punk (a monicker he refutes while grinning broadly … One Love Terri me ol’ mucker) then Geoff Harden was Godfather of Folk. Sadly, Geoff left us in 2006 - but we have a Music Studio named after him (and a special donor from years ago) to remember him - Harden-Nie Studio in the ARC (arts resource centre) in Cathedral Quarter. 

Olivia Butler, who ran the Poetry in Motion Schools programme. Anne Quail, who supported every visual arts project that the organisation ever did, right up until her passing in 2023; Ash Reynolds, a powerhouse of positivity and generosity, who forged a creative community around her own terminal illness in 2020. And dear Tracey Crossan (nee McVerry), the effervescent smiler who supported and co-ordinated so many projects over the last 25 years with us, and whom we sadly lost only a few short months ago. And my dear colleague , Marilyn Hyndman, just a few short years ago. 

But we gained so many friends and comrades from hundreds of organisations, clubs, groups and places along the way, who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us. Friends who continue to make a creative impact here - like : 

Patrons and Trustees: Martin Lynch, Joe McVey, Trish O’Kane Eileen Branagh, Darren Ferguson, Patricia Cooke, John Dean, Heather Floyd, Helen Forsythe, Pauline Hadaway, Kate Ingram, Leeann Kelly, James Kerr, Nathan Kripz, Bridget Lindsay, Deirdre Mackel, Frank McGlone, Joan Dempster (nee Montgomery), George Newell, Katrina Newell, Gavin O’Connor, Deirdre Robb, Janice Smith, Syd Trotter, Lesley Wilson - who all ensured the governance was there to continue our workover all the years. 

Colleagues, artists, producers, mentees and friends:

Francesca Biondi, Patricia Lavery (Crossey), Chelley McLear (who tragically lost her son, the youngest ever winner of the New Belfast Poetry Slam, beating a roomful of adults to the prize), Ken Armstong, Julie Anne Graham, Gabri Gomez Fernandez, Joanne Hamilton (nee Barnett), Wendy Blemings, Sheelagh Colclough, Deirdre McKenna, Colleen Coyle, Jennifer Trouton, Seamus Heaney (RIP), Frank Holmes, Jim McKevitt (RIP), Michael Baker (RIP), Fra Gunn (YNWA), Cora Wong, Alacoque Davey, Anu Sundaralingam, Sinead Morrissey, Jani Melia, Dr. Damien Mills, Tracey Gallogly, Michael McNulty, John Baucher, Louise Boylan, Keith Connolly, Mark Madden, Ciara Diamond Le Velly, Grainne Kielty, Jane Lavery, Medbh McGuckian, Aidan Molloy, Claire Concannon, Lucy Turner, Jane Grace, Gary McFeeter (RIP), Brian Bailey (RIP), Susan Millar, Fiona Ni Mhaoilir, Natasha Cuddington, Adrian Rice, Matthew Rice, Jim Johnston, Tony Walsh (Longfellow), Teresa Kane, T McMeekin, Therese Gorman, Gwen Stevenson, Caroline Shimmons, Julie McGowan, Suzii MacKenzie, Sue Steging, Stuart Sloan, Stephen Sexton, Dr Stephanie Conn, Dr Shelley Tracey, Stephen Biggie Bigmore, Stacey Burke, Sean McKernan, John Duncan, A Bernot, A Burnt, A Cuperus, A Davey, A Doherty, A Donnelly, A Hill, A J Callaghan, A Liesching, Anne M MCManus, Ali Mackenzie, A McCullough, Amira McDonagh, Anne McKay, Anne McManus, A Milligan, Ann Quail, Ash Reynolds, Adrian Rice, A S Khan, A Sharma, Anu Sundaralingam, Aaron Bell, Aaron Cleary, Abby Oliveira, Adam Turkington, Adam Warren, Adeline Henry, Agnes Mullan, Aidan Molloy, Aidan Mulholland, Aislinn Hagan, Alberto Clerencia Ortega, Ali Fell, Alice Pasquini, Alice Quigley, Alison Boyd, Alison Coulter, Amanda Finch, Amber Gilmore-Quail, Andrew Tinney, Andy Council, Aneta Murawska, Angela George, Angeline King, Ann McCall, Anna O'Kane, Annatomix, Anne-Marie Mullan, Anne Marie Taggart, Anne McCann, Anne McMaster, Anne O'Kane, Ann Quail, Arlene Marks, Armita R Shanbhogue, Christine Boyle, Astrid Conville, Ben Allen, Brian Bailey (RIP), B Cullen, B Hamill, B I McMichael, Brenda Liddy, Bobbi Rae Purdy, Brendan Quinn, B Smyth, Benen Dillon, Bernie McGill, Beth McComish, Bill Gilmore, Blaze FX, Bob Rainey, Brenda Graham, Brendan Murtagh, Brendan Popplestone, Brian Byrne, Brian J Hennessey, Brian McFeely, Briege McClean, Bruce White, C Agee, C Bonner, C Bowman, , C Brogan, C Brown, C Collins, Claire Concannon, Colleen Coyle, C Devenny, Ciara Diamond Le Velly, C Eardley, C Graham, C Hunter, Caroline Jeffrey, C Kelly, C Lynch, C McCausland, C McDonnell, C McKeown, C McLaughlin, Clare McWilliams, C Moore, C Morrow, C Mullan, C Murphy, Cara O'Donnell, Ciara O'Malley, C Palmer, C Sloan, Cathy Surgeoner, Calvin Goodgame, Caroline McCusker, Caroline Shimmons, Charmaine McMeekin, Charo Lanao-Madden, Christina Angelina, Ciara Campbell, Claire Harkin, Clare Lawson, Clare Mc Comish, Clare Mc Williams, Clinton Kirkpatrick, Clodagh Lavelle, Colin Ash, Colin Dardis, Colin Davidson, Colin Hassard, Colin McGookin, Colin Reid, Consuela Ortiz, Cyril Kelly, D Bonner, D Cathbertson, D Caulfield, D Docherty, D Eggs, D Ennis, D Fowler, Dennis Greig, D Harper, Diane Henshaw, Dave Holden, Deirdre Madden, Deirdre McKenna, Deirdre McManus, D McMurray, D McNally, D Mooney, D Piekaar, D Smith, D Whyte, Daniel Kitchener, Darren Ferguson, Dave Lordan, David Allen, David Cunningham, David Smylie, Dawn Aston, Dean Kane, Debbie Young, Deirdre Alexander, Deirdre Cartmill, Denise Blake, Denzil Browne, Dermot McConaghy, Des Kennedy, Diane Henshaw, Diane Jardel, Diane McCormick, Diane Miller, Diane Morrison, Diane Wilson, Dianne Grimason, Dominic S Berry, Dr Josie Nugent, Dr R Huq, Dylan Quinn, Dympna Curran, Eddie Bannon, E Brown, E Burns, Ed Carroll, E Cartin, E Creen, Elaine Gaston, E Gornall, E Haden, Eamonn Keena, Eileen Branagh, Eiogen Fund, Elaine Duncan, Elaine Liyounssi, Ellen Factor, Ellie Perrin, Emily McDonagh, Emma Hawthorne, Emma Louise Hutchinson, Emma Must, Emma Whitehead, Eoin McGinn, Erika Reid, Esther O’Kelly, Eva F Roa Flores, Eve Williams, Frankie Quinn, F Sweeney, Filippa Seilern Aspang, Fionnuala Duffin, Fionnuala McNicholl, Frank Ormsby, Frank Rafferty, Freya Seren, G Carragher, Geraldine Cooper, Graham Day (RIP), G Gallagher, Grainne Kelly, Geroid MacLochlainn, G Makamanei, Gary McFeeter, Gary McKeever, G McKeown, Gerri Moriarty, Gemma Murray, G Reid, G Rosborough, Gerrard Stratton, Grace Wilder, Gabriel Gomez Fernandez, Gamel Neequaye Dsane Dreph, Gareth Moore, Gavin Ferris, Genevieve Murphy, Gerry Fell, Glen Molloy, Grace McGreevy, Graham Watson, Gus Moore, Gwen Stevenson, H Coppard, H Doherty, Heather Floyd, H Kiani Rad, H McQuaid, Helen Midgley, H Porter, H Reid, Helen Walshaw, Hazel Busby, Heather Douglas, Helena Stuart, Henry Joy, Henry Lo, Ian Fleming, Ivan Frew, Imelda Truesdale, Iolanda Rocha, J A Lynas, J Armstrong, Jane Bailey, J Berry, Jean Bleakney, J Bradbury, J Denton-McComish, J Doran, Jo Egan, J Elliott, J Fairley, J Farrelly, J Fisher, J Fursman, J Healy, J Kelly, J Maher, J McConnell, J McCormick, J McEwen, J McGowan, John McGuckian, J McKeown, J McMenamin, J McVityy, J Owens, Janet Shepperson, J Steadman, J Tiernan, J Tsang, Jacque McNeill, James Curran, James Earley, James Louis Michel, James Micallef Grimaud, Jan Carson, Jasper McKinney, Jennifer Goddard, Jennifer Heron, Jessica Tobin, Jim McCabe, Jim McElroy, Jim McKevitt, Jim Russell, Lowry Grant, Jo Hatty, Jo Prinsen, Joe Doyle, Joe Nawaz, John Brown, John Carden, John Gray, John Mc Gurgan, John Trotter, John Walls, Jon Farrelly, Jonathan Glyde-Bates, Jonathan Hicks, Jonathan McKerr, Jonathan Ryder, Jonathon Kelly, Jordan McCuaig, Jude Fenton, Jude Young, Judith Lunn, Julia Lyn Heatley, Julia Lyn Waters, Julianne Skillen, Julie Pickering, Juliet Turner, Julius Anakaa, K Andrews, K Driscoll, K Duggan, K Ennals, K Flanagan, Ken Haddock, K Hunter, K Kiely, Katherine Kingham, Kanthy Marsh, K McCracken, Kirsty McGuinness, K McMullan, K Plummer, K Quail, K Quigley, K Somasundram, K Stewart, Karin Eyben, Kat St. Angelo, Kate Guelke, Katherine Rupit, Katrina Newell, Katrina Sheena Smyth, Katy Chambers, Kayla Rush, Kayleigh Doughty, Kelly Creighton, Kev Largey, Killian Redmond, L Chung, Lucy Cochrane, Lizzie Devlin, L Fitzsimons, L Graham, L Hanna, L Harrington, Linda Hutchinson, L Magill, Leonie McDonagh, L Schenk, L Stewart, L Taggart, Lucy Turner, Larry Cowan, Laura Nelson, Lauren Martin, Martin Crawford, Leah O'Neill, Leeane Kelly, Lenka Davidkova, Lesley Wilson, Linda McKenna, Lisa Murphy, Lucas Dillon, Lucie Corcoran, Lynda Tavakoli, Lyndsay McVeigh, Lynne Edgar, M Callan, Miriam De Burca, Moyra Donaldson, Peggy Fisher, M Freeman, Michelle Gallen, Michael Hart, M J Reid, M Johnston, Charo Lanao-Madden, Michael MacBroom, Mark Madden, M McCann, M McClure, M Molloy, Mike Moloney, Martin Mooney, Marian Noone (Friz), M Rankin, M Rogers, M Smith, M Smyth, Michelle Wooderson, Mahsa Jahangirpour, Margaret McClean, Maria Teresa Ruiz Cala, Marian Noone, Marie-Loiuse Muir, Marie-Louise McClarey, Marion Clarke, Mark Allsop, Mark Clane, Marta Burgell Alegre, Martelle McPartland, MARTIN CAULEY, Mary Cowan, Mary Jane Jacob, Mathieu Decodts, Matt Faris, Matthew Castleton, Matthew Rice, Matthew Vernon, Maureen Boyle, Mayte Ruiz, Mayte Segura,  Mel Bradley, Melinda Ashley Meyer, Michael Bass, Michael Connolly, Michael Monaghan, Michael Smith, Michael Wilson, Michelle Garvey, Miriam Coulter, Morag Donald, Myra Zeph, Ned Jackson, N Arbuthnott, N Armstrong, N Burrowes, Niamh Larkin, N McCauley, N McGrath, N McMillen, N Salih, Nisha Tandon, N Walker, N Woods, Nandipha Jola, Naomi Reid, Natalie Smyth, Natasha Duddy, Nathan Elout-Armstrong, Neal Walker, Neil Decodts, Mattieu Decodts, Niamh Meehan, Nikki Fisher, Nikolay Ivanov, Noel Murphy, Nuala Convery, Olive Broderick, O Hughes, O Murphy, Olga McCrossan, Omar El Masri, Orlaith Cullinane, Paul McMordie, Owen Crawford, P Cunninghan, P Hamill, P Harte, P Johnston, P Lappin, Paul Maddern, P Matthew, P McEneaney, P Meehan, P Milligan, P O'Tuama, Peter Stewart, P Watson, Peter Wilson (Duke Special), Pamela Brown, Patricia Campbell, Patrick Sanders (RIP), Paul Hutchinson, Paul J. Ryding, Paul Kane, Paul  McCrory, Paula Rodriguez Dono, Peter Bleakley, Peter E Davidson, Peter White, Phil Nicholls, Mike Moloney, R A Smyth, R Barnett, Ruth Carr, R Cordiner, R Cowley, Rene Greig, R Hussain, R Jaquarello, R Jenkinson, Rachel McCabe, R McCann, R McCullogh, R McGrath, Dr Robbie McVeigh, Robbie Meredith, Ruth Moore, R Naresh, R O'Neill, Ryan O'Reilly, R S MORROW, R Scott, R Skelly, R Walsh, R Watson, R Whyte, Rachael Campbell-Palmer, Rachael Lindsay, Raquel McKee, Richard Campbell, Rita Harkin, Rob Hilken, Robert Hargrove, Roisin Murphy, Roof Repairs, Rory Jones, Rory O'Loughlin, Rosalind Lowry, Ross Thompson, Ruth Boyd, S Bamford, S Barr, Stephen Beggs, Sheena Bleakney, Sheelagh Colclough, S Davies, Sean Fox, S Kerr, S Lewis, S MacAindresea, S McCaffrey, S Millar, S Mitchell, S Morrissey, S Mullan, Stevie Noonan, Sinaead O'Donnell, S O'Neill, S Orr, S Quigley, S Rea, S Safiruddin, S Scott, Shannon Sickels, S Somasundram, S Thompson, Sam Walklett, Steven Watson, Sam Le Bas, Samuel Bates, Samuel McLaren, Sandra Robinson, Sara-Jane Arbury, Seamus Heaney (RIP), Sean Duncan, Sean McCann, Sean McKernan, Seonaid Murray, Sharron Currie, Shea Ross, Sheela Ashburn, Shelley Tracey, Siemens Fin Services, Simon Guyennet, Simon Mills, Sinead Quinn, Skye Bompas, Slaine Browne, Stacey Burke, Stephanie Heckman, Stephen Fagan, Stephen Hayles, Stephen Pritchard, Stephen Sexton, Steven Hadley, Sue Steging, Tanya Askin, T Atkinson, Tracey Doak, T McMaster, T McMeekin, T Owens, Tammy Moore, Tamsin Sharp, Teresa Kane, Tessa Greer, Thomas Manley, Thomas Moreland, Tom Bingle, Tom Cunningham, Tomas Finnegan, Tracey Atkinson, Ursula Burke, Victoria Barkley, V Flores, Verity Peet, Victoria Campbell, Wilson Magwere, Wiiliam Frode de la Foret, William Mitchell, Walter Graham, Wendy Sinnamon, Wilma Kenny, Wendy Robinson, Y Tsang, Yvonne Boyle, Zhenia Mahdi-Lau

Thank you for the wonderful work in a glorious range of settings: - in committee rooms, at rallies, on marches, on projects in every conceivable setting like gazebos in a gale, backrooms of pubs, subways, dilapidated factories, on buses, synagogues, nightclubs, shopping centres, boats, detention centres, doctors surgeries, trains, chapels, cinemas and greenhouses. Of course, there were all the community centres, schools, church halls and nursing homes, never mind the Ulster Halls, Waterfront, Playhouse, Grand Opera House. 

Our collective thanks to each and every one of the artists, facilitators, community activists and leaders, enablers, workers and the 1,000s of volunteers who have made the journey possible. 

And of course the funders. I pay tribute to their continuing support, guidance and assistance: 

• To our principal funder, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and their generous support since 2003 and their ceo, the redoubtable Roisin McDonough, who started work in the arts sector almost 25 years ago too 

• Belfast City Council

• Belfast European Partnership (Later Belfast Local Strategy Partnership, then SEUPB)

• DCAL

• DFC

• The Executive Office

• Community relations Council

• Enkalon Foundation

• Esmee Fairbairn

• Dept of Foreign Affairs (RoI)

• Creative Ireland

• Hope for Youth

• Joseph Rowntree Trust

• Belfast Education and Library Board (now Education Authority)

• BBC Children In Need

• Laganside Corp

• Ortus

• Better Belfast

• Lloyds Foundation

• Building Change Trust

• Community Foundation

• NICVA

• Each and every NI district council, before and after council reorganisations

• The National Gallery

• The National Trust

• Clanmil Housing

• Habinteg Housing

• Radius Housing

• Rural Housing Association

• Public Health Authority

• Northern Health and Social Care Trust

• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

• Southern Health and Social Care Trust

• South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust

In total, CAP has supported over 110,000 active participants , 2,500+ volunteers, 

• Over 3,000 community group projects and 1,125 schools programmes

• Over 600 artists and creative producers received over 4,850 artistic assignments, never mind the countless arts, media, and supplies companies that have supported us and whom we’ve supported in turn 

• Over 250,000 news items of our websites

• 52 poetry anthologies

• 11 years of the Seamus Heaney Awards,

• 6 other publications

• 4 large scale public sculptures 

• 17 public consultation responses

• 1 arts funding campaign (ArtsMatterNI) 

And thank you today, to the current trustees and staff cohort who enable this organisation to keep moving forward: 

Sean McCann, Karen MacFarlane, Philip Campbell, 

Josh Schultz, Heather Douglas, Gordon Hewitt, Sally Young, Steven Tunley, Carole Kane

All these folk, these institutions and so many more people within them, provide our momentum and have given Community Arts Partnership the foundation to keep moving ahead and forging new opportunities to connect community and creativity for the decades ahead. 

Of course, there is a multitude of others to thank and a legion that took the strain - not least my wife and my kids. 

To all of you, each and every one, I thank you for the last 25 years as we look forward to a bright, inclusive and creative future for Community Arts Partnership and all our partners, friends, associates, and hosts. 

All the best for 2025

Conor Shields, ceo. 

If I've left anyone out, my sincere apologies but 25 years is a long time!!

You can read in depth the story of the foundation of New Belfast Community Arts Initiative and Community Arts Partnership in "A Coming of Age" available from CAP to purchase. 

The NI Assembly's new Programme for Government believes the arts don’t matter at all

 

The Assembly believes the arts don’t matter – we have to tell them that it does!

(An immediate response to the draft Programme for Government 2024-2027, titled "Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most")

The NI Assembly believes the arts don’t matter ... 

The draft Programme for Government 2024-2027, titled "Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most", published on the 9^th September, shows the struggle that is underway to save the arts in N Ireland. This draft PfG primarily focuses on economic recovery, public health, education, and infrastructure, with absolutely no explicit mention of direct investment or initiatives to support the Culture, Arts, and Heritage sector. This egregious omission has set off alarm bells across a sector that has enjoyed only neglect, underinvestment and a reduction in living/working standards caused by 13+ years of austerity on the part of the Assembly and government departments.  Bear in mind that these sectors, culture arts and heritage, have just completed two major pieces of work in ministerial taskforces, producing firstly a cogent plan for the recovery through the Covid crisis and then latterly, a Culture arts and heritage Strategy completed in 2022, with scores of organisations and their leaders taking part.

Whilst the stark absence of any references to culture and heritage shouldn't necessarily mean these sectors will be neglected entirely, but given bitter experience and the catchy title of the draft pfg “Doing What Matters Most”, it is evident what government now thinks – that creativity and culture are definitely not priorities and essentially do not matter in this society.  This lack of visibility in the stated core governmental priorities begs questions about the ongoing support of these sectors in the next government funding cycles and ultimately, the sustainability of arts and culture in this corner of the globe...

The draft PfG does manage to set out a broad framework for public policy, and its undoubtedly possible that specific initiatives might emerge through funding schemes, possibly through departmental budgets such as tourism or education, but to reduce even the editorial commitment to culture, arts and heritage, is yet another body blow to a sector that has been pummelled for a decade or more and now sees its value not noted ONCE in a draft programme for government. Unbelievable!

As a sector, we must coalesce around a determination to place the arts and culture at the heart of society and seize this consultation process, running from September to November 2024, to press government for stronger representation in policy and commitments to fund our sector sustainably in the finalised pfg.

The 2024-2027 PfG “Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most” shows massive divergence from earlier pfg’s regarding the role of the arts.

1. 2016-2021 Programme for Government

In the 2016-2021 PfG, culture, arts, and heritage were explicitly recognised as critical to Northern Ireland's identity, social cohesion, and economic development. Specific outcomes relating to these sectors included:

• Outcome 5: Emphasised "a more creative society," with a direct commitment to supporting the arts as a means of fostering innovation, creativity, and inclusion
• Investment in Culture: Funding and strategic initiatives targeted cultural projects, aiming to enhance Northern Ireland’s cultural offering as part of its tourism and international appeal. The recognition of the arts as a driver for tourism and economic regeneration was clear in the 2016-2021 document.
• Community and Cohesion: Arts and heritage were also tied into improving community relations and reducing division. Initiatives were often designed to support cultural expression as a form of healing from the legacy of the Troubles, with government-funded programmes aimed at both promoting Northern Ireland’s heritage and fostering dialogue across communities

But now in contrast… 

2. 2024-2027 Programme for Government

The current draft PfG for 2024-2027 makes absolutely no direct mention of culture, arts, or heritage as priorities in its key outcomes. This lack of explicit focus on the sector marks a worrying departure from previous government programmes and signals an unambiguous threat to the sustainability of these sectors:

• Reduced Visibility: While the previous PfG (2016-2021) included a specific outcome tied to creativity and the arts, the 2024-2027 draft shifts attention to broader societal goals like economic recovery, health, and environmental sustainability without any reference to arts, culture or heritage. This is itself is remarkable, but all the more so if one remembers the crisis in race relations continue to reverberate locally for a society that is still emerging from conflict.
• Post-Pandemic Priorities: The new draft is heavily focused on rebuilding the economy and health services after the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, cultural funding has been further deprioritised. Bear in mind that only last year, culture arts and heritage leaders spent months working on a ministerial taskforce to address these concerns, and develop a strategy, and yet that vision is now cast aside completely. The clear message to be heard by our sector is that neither our input, nor the industry that works across all sections of our community, employing thousands, matters.

3. Potential Impacts

• Funding Concerns: The absence of explicit goals for arts and heritage in the 2024-2027 PfG raises immediate concerns about further and perhaps more profound funding cuts. While earlier versions of the PfG linked cultural initiatives to tourism and economic strategies, the current draft shifts away from these linkages, severing what had been a clear strategic initiative ( and one of course that is employed by neighbouring jurisdictions to global and national effect.)

• Consultation Opportunity: The ongoing consultation process offers a chance for stakeholders in the culture, arts, and heritage sectors to push for stronger representation and clearer funding commitments in the final version of the PfG​

 

The PfG 2024-2027 marks a clear shift away from the explicit support for culture, arts, and heritage seen in the 2016-2021 iteration. While the previous PfG recognised the arts as a key driver for social cohesion and economic growth, the current draft lacks any direct references to our sector.

When comparing the 2024-2027 draft PfG with previous versions, in terms of culture, arts, and heritage, key trends emerge:

1. Reduction in Visibility of Arts and Culture: In earlier iterations, particularly those from 2011-2015, cultural heritage, linguistic diversity (e.g., Irish and Ulster Scots), and the promotion of arts as community development tools were explicitly addressed. For example, the PfG for 2011-2015 emphasised celebrating cultural and linguistic diversity and included actions related to the provision of resources for Irish medium education, respect for ethnic minority traditions, and cultural participation by disabled and elderly citizens. The emphasis was not only on supporting these sectors but also promoting inclusivity across communities. 

2. Cultural and Economic Development Links:

The 2016-2021 PfG made stronger links between culture, arts, and economic goals, framing the creative industries as contributors to the regional economy. There was an effort to tie arts and cultural activities into broader social outcomes, including mental health improvement and community cohesion.

Whilst arts purists may have baulked at the time and complained of social engineering and instrumentalism, the arts aren’t even mentioned now.

However, by 2024-2027, while the framework continues to promote community well-being, there is a complete absence of specific policies or any stated commitments aimed directly at the arts and cultural sectors.

3. Broad Social and Economic Focus:

This latest draft of the PfG, primarily focuses on broader economic, health, and educational outcomes, with culture and arts having no explicit role in this strategic overview, where the arts and cultural sectors have explicitly, constantly and consistently supported these areas.

The arts contribution to the UK economy (evidenced in figures around GVA and GDP) leverages huge benefit when compared to the comparatively low level of investment. N Ireland contributes hugely to this leverage. 

Similarly, the impact of the arts on mental, emotional and physical health has been proven and charted again and again in community and health settings.

As for education – how many successful engagements has the sector carried out in just the last few weeks, never mind consistently, year on year,  across our schools, community centres and centres of learning.

The new framework offers no role for cultural and artistic contributions as key enablers of societal progress, and will undoubtedly lead to further reductions in funding if this is not addressed coherently, cogently and across

This approach by the Northern Ireland government suggests that while earlier programmes may have recognised the intrinsic value of culture and arts and indeed how that value might be applied, the more recent iterations only prioritise measurable economic and social outcomes, the reductive neo-liberal framework that can only count beans.

Our sector and all who have benefited from it over the years, must fight back before we are swept away.

Let’s compare the so-called ‘Doing What Matters Most’ programme with that of our near neighbours in the Republic of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland for a moment. 

Just a brief scan around reveals so much.

As I’ve said, here amongst our ministers and their departments in the North/Northern Ireland there is now a marked absence of any explicit reference to the culture arts and heritage sectors. While general public spending is discussed, cultural investment does not appear anywhere, leaving the status of ongoing or new initiatives in the arts and heritage sectors completely unclear and worryingly absent. This contrasts sharply with approaches in the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Republic of Ireland:

Cultural policy in the Republic is highly evolved and painstakingly consulted upon and developed. It is always integrated into broader governmental priorities. Through frameworks like Culture 2025, the Irish government places culture at the heart of public policy, recognising its importance for social cohesion, identity, and economic development. This all-of-government programme aims to integrate creativity into public policy, touching on key areas such as Creative Youth, Creative Communities, and cultural health and well-being. Moreover, the Irish government has committed to doubling its funding for arts and culture from 2017 levels by 2025.

The Creative Ireland Programme (2017-2022) further emphasises key pillars such as enabling creativity in children, investing in cultural infrastructure, and promoting Ireland globally as a hub for cultural and creative industries. Culture 2025 also commits to doubling public funding for culture by 2025 and has extensive support for Irish language, biodiversity, and creative industries.

Scotland

Although constantly in the news for the wrong reasons around funding over the last months, The Scottish Government consistently highlights the importance of culture through its A Culture Strategy for Scotland (2020), which underscores culture’s role in fostering individual and community wellbeing. Like the ROI, Scotland commits significant investment into creative industries, cultural participation, and heritage conservation and even in light of sever funding pressures, has sought to maintain that commitment. A key element is that culture is seen as a critical element for achieving Scotland's National Outcomes, with funding provided to both national institutions and community-level arts initiatives.

Wales

In Wales, our most comparable neighbour in terms of previous funding frameworks (although enjoying twice the funding level per capita) , Wales enjoys a cultural agenda that is similarly well-supported through policies such as Cultural Recovery Fund for arts and culture sectors and the Wales’ Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015). This places culture and heritage as essential to well-being, sustainability, and national identity. There is a strong commitment to safeguarding the Welsh language and promoting heritage tourism, with substantial investment in national museums, heritage sites, and creative industries.

In contrast, Northern Ireland’s PFG says NOTHING… it does not outline even one specific cultural funding commitment or initiative!

It’s clear that policy makers and indeed citizens in neighbouring countries, (who by the way already enjoy cultural investment many times greater than the level of funding here) understand that public investment is critical in supporting a far greater sense of national identity, civic participation, community wellbeing and of course, global recognition of the cultural wealth of these nations. Their governments have consistently embraced culture arts and heritage as a huge driver of national benefit in a multiplicity of settings and relationships, from local community through to international relations.   

Northern Ireland’s current PFG lacks any comparable commitment.

For any contemporary nation to ignore culture, arts and heritage and excise all mention from a document entitled “Doing What Matters Most” speaks volumes about how out of step and utterly myopic our collective government is. 

Ministers chorus “Our Plan” but its disregards the most basic elements that make society, that makes this place tick – the reasons that we think as we do, the humanity that underpins our language and our interactions, the creativity that we must harness for our collective future and the very essence of how we reflect ourselves today and everyday!

To deny the arts is to undermine any attempt to support our collective quality of life, for citizen or state, child or institution, us’ns and them’uns. 

We must push back and not just for the thousands of jobs in this sector, but for the inalienable right of all of us to enjoy the benefits of a cultural life and participate in our society.

ArtsMatterNI offers its resources, platform and collective intelligence to fight back against this casting aside of our sector's role and respond robustly and collectively to this dismissal of our role. 

https://www.artsmatterni.co.uk/

Contact us on artsmatterni @ gmail . com and let's do this... 

The Arts Matter.  NOW MORE THAN EVER

Best

Conor Shields