Derry & Strabane Council committee approve North West Carnival Initiative SLA extension

Aeidin McCarter, Head of Culture for Derry City and Strabane Council said the NWCI, established in 2005, is the core carnival arts organisation in the North West, aiming ‘to create an environment for carnival arts, people and communities to thrive’.

Aeidin McCarter highlighted that the NWCI works with around 1,400 individuals in parade participation and 2,000 in direct carnival arts training workshops across the North West annually. Council provides £17,000 per annum for operational costs and £9,880 per annum for storage and upkeep costs of cultural assets under the SLA.

Additionally, council allocates annual payments for the delivery and management of the community participation programme, including £34,000 for the Spring Carnival (St Patrick’s Day) parade, £8,000 for the Strabane St Patrick’s Day parade, and £36,000 for the Halloween carnival programme.

Members unanimously approved the five year extension to the SLA.

Gillian Anderson

Local Democracy Reporter