Derry funding blow: NI Executive Office says ‘not possible to support all worthwhile projects’
The Executive Office has said it was ‘not possible to support all worthwhile projects’ amid shock over funding being stopped for a much praised cross-community programme in Derry.
Greater Shantallow Community Arts (GSCA) has written directly to First Minister Michelle O’Neill and lodged an appeal after receiving notification that the 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 was the latest in a series of cuts from various departments and bodies impacting Derry’s arts and cultural sector.
When asked for an explanation for the 100% funding cut to GCSA’s Together: Building a United Community, a spokesperson for The Executive Office told the Journal that the department has supported nearly 900 projects to date, “benefitting almost 290,000 people through the Good Relations Fund (CGRF)”.
“Each year,” the spokesperson added, “the funding sought exceeds the available resources which means it is not possible to support all worthwhile projects.
“For 2025/26 we received 220 applications from groups, requesting a total funding of £7.1million against a budget for 2025/26 of £2.025 million.
"A total of 62 successful projects have been awarded funding which will positively impact on almost 40,000 people. A further 49 groups remain on a waiting list should additional budget become available during the year.”
The Executive Office stated that it “remains fully committed to Good Relations, with an ongoing strategic review of the T:BUC Strategy, and will work with stakeholders to mitigate impact where possible”.
Following the funding cut, GSCA chairperson Bobby Kelly said recently that 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.”
Ollie Green, Artistic Director of Greater Shantallow Community Arts told the Journal last week that there have been glowing reports for the projects they have been running both from the funders and participants for several years, with its Together: Building United Communities projects surpassing targets and being classed as reasonable in terms of costs.
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.”
"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,” Green said.