The Waterside Theatre in Derry to receive £15,500 from Arts Council
The Arts Council yesterday announced plans to make £1.9 million in emergency funding available to 150 small and medium sized organisations in the sector.
Just over ten per cent of that cash – around £122,000 – is earmarked for arts groups and organisation across Derry.
They are:
Bloody Sunday Trust – £18,681
Centre for Contemporary Art Derry – £2,301
Derry Theatre Trust – £4,975
Gasyard Development Trust – £6,127
North West Carnival Initiative – £5,545
North West Cultural Partnership – £14,442
North West Japanese Cultural Group – £8,000
North West Play Resource Centre (The Playhouse) – £15,000
Walled City Music Trust – £6,825
Waterside Theatre Company Ltd – £15,500
Verbal Arts Centre NI Limited – £24,500
The arts sector has been particularly badly hit by the Coronavirus pandemic due to venue and gallery closures as well as the cancellation of festivals and other events.
Snow White pantomine at the Millennium Forum last Christmas but cancelled this year
The Millennium Forum in Derry has already postponed this year’s Christmas pantomine until 2021.
Arts Council chief executive, Roisín McDonough said the emergency measure meant that arts organisation would benefit from funding grants of up to £25,000 each.
Ms McDonough said the funding would ensure organisations could continue to produce creative work.
“Funding for the arts in Northern Ireland was already in a fragile state pre-Covid-19 and we estimate that since the pandemic, organisations are facing deficits of over £6m; a figure which may increase as the year progresses.
“These organisations are among the most creative, flexible and inventive in our society and many are already finding imaginative and innovative ways to deliver content.
“However, the impact of the lockdown on their earned income has been both severe and immediate,” she said.
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