The iDA funding programme is a dedicated annual arts development programme, delivered through the Arts + Disability Forum, to enable deaf and disabled artists who are working in a range of art forms to develop their professional artistic careers.

The bursaries provide valuable opportunities for each artist to produce a new high-quality creative work, receive training or professional mentoring.

Dates of Briefing Sessions and Surgeries:

​Belfast: Wednesday 14th March, starting 12 noon, ADF Gallery

Derry: Thursday 15th March, starting 12 noon, CCA (Centre for Contemporary Art, 10-12 Artillery St, Londonderry BT48 6RG)

The sessions will last approximately 90 minutes, followed by 30 minute individual surgeries. The sessions must be booked in advance, so please email ida@adf.ie to secure a slot.

Call ADF or email to arrange an advice session: 02890 239450 or ida@adf.ie

20 artists from Northern Ireland have been announced as the latest recipients of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s ACES awards 2017/18, a National Lottery supported funding grant bestowed upon Northern Ireland’s most talented emerging artists to allow them to develop their professional, artistic careers and create new work.

Awards under the Artists Career Enhancement Scheme (ACES) are made annually to professional artists working in music, visual arts, drama, dance, literature and participatory arts and are among the most prestigious awards bestowed by the Arts Council. The artists include three drama awardees, six visual artists, five musicians, five literature awardees and one community artist.

In addition to receiving a bursary of up to £5,000 each, many of the 20 artists have been partnered with a professional organisation or leading artists, at home or abroad, to help each of them to deliver new creative work. Some of these include; Prime Cut Productions, Queen’s University, Ulster Orchestra, Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, Moving On Music, An tSnáthaid Mhór, Tinderbox Theatre Company, Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, composer Garth McConaghie and leading soprano, Nathalie Paulin, University of Toronto.

The 20 artists awarded ACES funding include:
Visual Arts

• Andrea Spencer
• Clare Gormley
• Emily McFarland
• Liam Crichton
• Samantha Moore
• Mary Murphy

Community Arts

• Jennifer Goddard

For a full list of recipients in other art forms visit: artscouncil-ni.org

European Commission says Brexit vote means a British city can’t be awarded the title of European Capital of Culture in 2023.

Belfast/Derry, Dundee, Nottingham, Leeds and Milton Keynes had expressed an interest in being the 2023 host.

In a letter the European Commission says the British application should be “discontinued” because of the Brexit vote. After Brexit, “the participation of the United Kingdom in the European Capital of Culture action will not be possible,” says the letter, written by Martine Reicherts, director-general in the Commission’s education and culture department.

Istanbul, Reykjavík and Stavanger in Norway have all been European Capitals of Culture despite not being part of the EU. Cities in both the U.K. and Hungary are due to be awarded the title in 2023.

But Reicherts said the scheme is only open to EU countries, candidates to join the bloc and members of the European Economic Area — and the U.K. will be none of those when it leaves the EU in 2019.

Tom Watson, deputy leader of the Labour Party in the UK, said “The news that the UK has been shunned from this European cultural competition is a great shame… Some cities have already spent up to £500,000 on their bid submissions.”

He added that the government “must now explain how they intend to ensure that Brexit does not leave us culturally isolated from Europe and how the economic and cultural benefits that accompany the European Capital of Culture will be maintained.”

Two British cities have been European Capital of Culture: Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool in 2008.

A composer, playwright, performance artist and a visual artist have each received the Arts Council Northern Ireland’s highest accolade, with £15,000 Major Individual Artist awards.

The recipients of the awards, given in recognition of the contribution each artist has made to creative life in Northern Ireland, are: composer Professor Piers Hellawell, playwright Shannon Sickels (Yee), performance artist Sinéad O’Donnell and visual artist/filmmaker Mairéad McClean. The awards, funded through the National Lottery, make it possible for these artists to take time out to dedicate to their creative work and to produce a substantial, ambitious project that will make a significant contribution to the development of their artistic careers.

artscouncil-ni.org/news/

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has commissioned Thrive (formally Audiences NI) to deliver and integrated Arts, Culture and Heritage Framework for the area.

In order to ensure that as many people as possible are consulted about the framework, there will be three workshop sessions held which are open to anyone involved or interested in the development of arts, culture and heritage across Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon.

Dates: 23rd November 2017
Times: 19:30 – 21:00
Fee: Free
Location:
F.E. McWilliam Gallery,
200 Newry Rd,
Banbridge
Booking: RSVP by Wednesday 15th November to Pamela Meekin business@wewillthrive.co.uk
Website: femcwilliam.com