The Arts: Our role in the Future of Northern Ireland
The arts are not just a cultural priority. They are a public policy asset.
Across Northern Ireland, artists and arts organisations are already contributing to stronger communities, education, health and wellbeing, tourism, rural development, regeneration and local economic activity.
VAI also recognises the intrinsic importance of art to the cultural identity of Northern Ireland, and the value of creativity as an expression of our individual and shared identities, histories, communities and lived experience. Those cultural and creative values stand in their own right. The wider social, educational, health, economic and place-based benefits set out in the report strengthen, rather than replace, that fundamental case for supporting the arts.
Based on our indepth research into the impact of the last 10 years on the arts in Northern Ireland, our forthcoming report brings together the evidence and makes the case for protecting the cultural infrastructure that delivers these benefits.
The evidence speaks for itself:
- 83% of funded arts organisations work with community groups.
- 85% work with education partners.
- 64% work with health and wellbeing partners.
- 90% work with local authorities.
- More than 1.7 million visitor, audience and participant engagements were recorded in 2024/25.
Yet direct public arts investment represented just 0.03% of Northern Ireland’s public resource expenditure in 2024/25.
Our message to Northern Ireland’s MLAs, Ministers, government departments and political party policy teams is simple:
Supporting the arts is not solely a matter for cultural policy. It is an investment in the infrastructure that helps deliver priorities across government.
The forthcoming report sets out the evidence and four practical proposals for recovery, sustainable funding, independent decision-making and fair working conditions.
We invite decision-makers across the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly to engage with the findings, consider what a sustainable arts sector can contribute to Northern Ireland’s future, and understand how the support of the arts needs to come from the many sectors that it engages with.
Full report coming soon.
Register below to receive your copy of The Arts: Our role in the Future of Northern Ireland
Visual Artists Ireland | October 2026
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