Fears for future of Derry's cultural sector after another funding hammer blow
Fears have been expressed that Derry’s arts, cultural and good relations sectors are being ‘hammered’ by funding cuts which the latest group affected said has come ‘completely out of the blue’.
Greater Shantallow Community Arts (GSCA) has now written directly to First Minister Michelle O’Neill and lodged an appeal after receiving notification that their Central Good Relations Fund (CGRF) application to The Executive Office has been rejected, resulting in the loss of cross-community initiatives and funding for the programme officer’s post.
The decision not to renew the annual £65,000 allocation is the latest in a series of cuts impacting Derry’s arts and cultural sector.
GSCA chairperson Bobby Kelly said said it was difficult to escape the conclusion that ‘faceless’ civil servants were making ‘unilateral decisions that continue to cut funding to the arts in our city’.
Paying tribute to the ‘dedicated’ project officer, he said that after running ‘hugely successful and widely celebrated’ CGRF programmes for the past six years the decision to withdraw all funding for Together: Building a United Community programmes ‘has left us devastated’.
"Over the years we have developed an outstanding, innovative model for engaging hundreds of participants from all sections of our community.
"This cut will mean the end of vital Good Relations programming at a time when Derry is witnessing a concerning rise in sectarian tensions.”
Mr Green meanwhile said: “There is certainly a feeling that the region is getting hammered. Last year we had the Waterside Theatre, it’s happening to Echo Echo, and this kick to us has come completely out of the blue.”
The organisation said they have been told their application for the current financial year was rejected on the grounds of ‘value for money’ and that the decision makers claimed the need for such projects was ‘vague’.
Ollie Green, Artistic Director of Greater Shantallow Community Arts (GCSA) said that this is despite glowing reports for the projects they have been running both from the funders and participants for several years and its Together: Building United Communities projects surpassing targets and being classed as reasonable in terms of costs. An appeal against the decision has now been lodged.
Mr Green said: "We have been funded by The Executive Office for six years and the reason they have given in terms of this was ‘value for money’. I could not believe that, given we have applied for the exact same amount of money over the years. One of the notes from the assessment panel said all the costs were reasonable.
"We have been told that our’s was one of the best applications received for this. We had two Junior Ministers out with us last year celebrating the projects. We had the head of the Central Good Relations Fund delivery department with us just a couple of days just before we got this notice, talking about how wonderful it was. No-one saw this coming.”
Mr Green added: "We have four funded staff, we will be losing a project officer here who has done a brilliant job, and these programmes work. They have been innovative, bringing hundreds of children from schools from different areas in and mixing for the 14 weeks of the programme. They are doing activities, creating new friendships, doing showcases together. The same with older people, people with disabilities and different abilities. We have way surpassed the targets.”
Mr Green said that he found it shocking that the need for Good Relations in the Derry City & Strabane District Council area was described as ‘vague’, especially in light of the serious number of sectarian and hate crime related incidents.
"Are they living in a different planet?” he asked, adding that elected representatives from unionist and nationalist areas have been in touch to express their shock at the decision.
The Executive Office has been asked for an explanation.