Boost for Derry’s arts sector after devastating year due to COVID-19

The Derry organisations were among 168 across the north to benefit from a pot of over £11m allocated via the Stability and Renewal Programme for Organisations (SRPO).

The Stability and Renewal Programme is part of the £29 million NI Executive allocation that was made to the Department for Communities to support the arts, culture, heritage and language sectors which have been severely impacted by Covid-19.

The 168 organisations were offered grants to help them respond to the continuing negative impact of the Covid-19 crisis and the programme was specifically designed to stabilise organisations financially to prevent closure and/or to allow continued delivery of outcomes, and support renewal plans.

Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland said, “This announcement of £10.86 million of funding will be of benefit to 168 cultural organisations and the Arts Council thanks the Minister for Communities for making this emergency fund available. It is very much needed to help stabilise the wider arts, cultural and entertainment sectors in these difficult times and to plan for eventual recovery.”

Deirdre Hargey, Communities Minister said: “I know that the arts and creative sectors have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and that this financial support is vital to stabilise organisations and prevent many from closing permanently.

“This funding will eliminate deficits which organisations have accumulated from 1 April 2020 because of reductions in income, coupled with unavoidable ongoing costs.

“The arts and creative industries have an important role to play in helping us all emerge from this pandemic, and this support is designed to stabilise organisations until they can reopen and resume delivering their important benefits to our community.”

The Fund marks the third round of funding to provide much-needed financial support to cultural organisations which have been decimated under the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Arts Council said that the closure of theatres and venues, the cancellation of festivals and events and the disappearance of live audiences has been devastating to those who work within these sectors, those who helped drive the regeneration of our local economy.

Among the groups to receive funding locally are Greater Shantallow Community Arts, who have been offered £84,000; Derry Theatre Trust (Millennium Forum), £103,034; North West Play Resource Centre (The Playhouse) £99,494; Walled City Music Trust £54,700 and Greater Shantallow Community Arts (GSCA), £84,000.

The others are: Abridged, £17,300; Celtronic Derry Ltd, £13,244; Centre for Contemporary Art, £11,690; Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company £9,432; Everybody Clap Productions Ltd £5,000; In Your Space (NI) Ltd, £43,673; Joe Gallagher Entertainments, £38,700; North West Carnival Initiative, £9,716; North West Cultural Partnership, £11,250; The Nerve Centre £24,350; The Void Art Centre £10,168; Verbal Arts Centre NI Limited £167,576; and the Waterside Theatre Company Ltd, £19,501.