Arts & Culture Co Delivery Group 2023
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Derry City & Strabane District<br />
<strong>Arts</strong> & <strong>Culture</strong><br />
<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>Delivery</strong><br />
2021-<strong>2023</strong><br />
<strong>Group</strong>
Foreword<br />
Kevin Murphy<br />
Chairperson, <strong>Arts</strong> & <strong>Culture</strong> <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>Delivery</strong> <strong>Group</strong><br />
2021-23<br />
The 2021-23 <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>Delivery</strong> <strong>Group</strong> continues to sustain itself<br />
and the strategy action plan through some exceptionally<br />
challenging times:<br />
• <strong>Co</strong>vid-19 Pandemic<br />
• A <strong>Co</strong>st of Living Crisis<br />
• A climate emergency<br />
• A breakdown of the NI Executive<br />
• A Cultural Policy vacuum at central government level<br />
There have been some important highlights, many of<br />
which and more are covered in this report. Some of the<br />
achievements that particularly resonate with me are:<br />
• More collaborative working – evidenced in the<br />
collaborative resilience programme and indeed in the<br />
ethos and practice of the co-delivery group itself<br />
• Greater recognition of the voices of artists, arts<br />
organisation and Derry-Londonderry as a cultural<br />
hub at local and central government and the<br />
beginnings of better partnership working with<br />
government<br />
• The forming of a cultural brand and story that not<br />
only can engage with audiences but elevates the city<br />
region as a cultural place.<br />
• Greater understanding of the difference we make<br />
collectively<br />
• A focus on access and inclusion<br />
• Greater recognition of the distinctiveness of<br />
the cultural offer here as well as an acceptance<br />
at government level of the long-standing<br />
underinvestment in the cultural life of this city region.<br />
• Greater connection across the sector – with events<br />
such as the City <strong>Co</strong>nversation in <strong>2023</strong><br />
There is much more to celebrate as you will see in the<br />
rest of this report – and let’s make sure that, however<br />
small the achievement is, we recognise it.<br />
Where we find ourselves now is both full of challenge and<br />
full of opportunity. Budgets that we had hoped to access<br />
to, at the very least, mark 10 years after City of <strong>Culture</strong><br />
and build on these foundations and our ambitions, have<br />
been decimated. There is no sugar-coating things – the<br />
funding picture is stark, our regions governance is broken<br />
and many of us here, as well as the communities we<br />
serve, are facing severe social and economic challenges.<br />
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Now is the time to lean into<br />
our challenges and look<br />
to the future together with<br />
hope.<br />
• Genuine collaboration requires energy, commitment<br />
of time and resources – we have yet to fully realise<br />
its potential<br />
• Financial resources aren’t everything, but good will<br />
and creativity alone can’t plug the gap left by serial<br />
underinvestment<br />
So, the question is what do we do now? Perhaps the<br />
opportunity is to recognise that we can no longer meet<br />
these challenges with the same old ways of working – we<br />
have to adapt, change and innovate.<br />
The current <strong>Arts</strong> & <strong>Culture</strong> Strategy is coming to an end<br />
and all of us are now charged with helping to renew it<br />
over the next period. In the context of a new <strong>Arts</strong> <strong>Co</strong>uncil<br />
NI and the long-awaited Cultural Policy for NI this is<br />
going to be an important task.<br />
Now is the time to lean into our challenges and look to<br />
the future together and with hope.<br />
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my<br />
colleagues for all their creativity and energy over these<br />
past two years. My work as chair has been made more<br />
enjoyable by your kind support.<br />
What I think we have learned in the last 2 years is:<br />
• Our strategy needs more focus with a smaller<br />
number of more strategic, prioritised actions<br />
• Supporting all our peers from individual freelance<br />
artists to public funded and commercial<br />
organisations and providing a platform for their<br />
voices, strengthens us all.<br />
3
Mayor’s Address<br />
We are now 4 years into a <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> process for the<br />
DCSDC <strong>Arts</strong> & <strong>Culture</strong> Strategy. When this strategy was<br />
first presented to <strong>Co</strong>uncil for adoption none of us could<br />
have foreseen the challenges ahead for the arts and<br />
culture sector in the northwest.<br />
After battling our way through the <strong>Co</strong>vid pandemic<br />
we have been faced with a cost-of-living crisis which<br />
is stretching our cultural organisations and artistic<br />
community to breaking point. <strong>Co</strong>uncil is not immune to<br />
the financial challenges within the wider economy, and<br />
this has impacted on our ability to increase investment in<br />
our cultural grant aid programmes.<br />
However, <strong>Co</strong>uncils investment in <strong>Arts</strong> & <strong>Culture</strong> has, in<br />
the main, been retained despite the financial pressures<br />
that we face. We are aware that inflation and escalating<br />
energy cost mean that this investment does not go as<br />
far as in previous years. Alongside this, other funders<br />
upon which the sector rely have reduced their levels of<br />
grant support. Despite these coalescing pressures there<br />
is growth within the sector which is exciting for the City<br />
and District, but which will inevitably add further pressure<br />
to existing resources.<br />
In these difficult times the <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> process has<br />
proven invaluable as a means of planning and delivery<br />
certainly, but also as a space for open and honest<br />
conversation between the sector and statutory partners<br />
including <strong>Co</strong>uncil, both Members and Officers. Over the<br />
past 4 years a true partnership has been established and<br />
forged in the face of adversity. From this I believe that<br />
we have better developed our willingness and capacity<br />
for collaborative working. For sure, this brings potential<br />
efficiencies, but it also creates new opportunities for<br />
those committed to real and meaningful collaboration.<br />
Amidst the challenges there have been many notable<br />
successes. The cultural offering here is a primary<br />
attraction in the destination marketing of the City and<br />
District contributing, in no small part, to the significant<br />
and ongoing growth of visitors to the region. This<br />
success will be further built upon with the roll out of<br />
the new cultural brand for the City and District, a brand<br />
that has been developed in close consultation with the<br />
cultural sector.<br />
Working across borders has been established practice<br />
for the cultural sector over many years. Audiences,<br />
practitioners, and cultural programming move back and<br />
forth between Donegal and our own <strong>Co</strong>uncil area. The<br />
respective <strong>Co</strong>uncils have worked closely over many years<br />
on a number of cultural related projects including the NW<br />
Audience Development programme. Designed simply to<br />
encourage audiences to participate in arts and culture<br />
the project has established a standardised audience<br />
impact methodology with over 70 cultural organisations<br />
across the NW participating in this data collection and<br />
analysis element. This data allows us all to see who the<br />
audiences are, what they want and how to ensure that<br />
this is sustained and grown through strategic targeted<br />
investment in programmes.<br />
One of the emerging trends from the audience impact<br />
tracking relates to participation of the pan disability<br />
community in arts and culture. The evidence clearly<br />
suggests that <strong>Co</strong>uncils Access and Inclusion Programme<br />
has had a marked impact on the engagement of this<br />
segment. The result of many years of investment in the<br />
reduction of barriers to access across the sector and<br />
testament to the dedication of our cultural partners<br />
in pursuing accessibility as a key priority within their<br />
respective organisations.<br />
4
A significant amount of groundwork has been undertaken<br />
over the past number of years in terms of research<br />
and engagement. A robust understanding of need and<br />
opportunity is essential when seeking investment. It<br />
provides the evidence required when seeking additional<br />
resources to build upon these foundations and explore<br />
new partnership projects including those relating to<br />
audiences, screen and digital.<br />
The <strong>Co</strong>llaborative Resilience Programme, involving 26<br />
DCSDC based cultural organisations, has established<br />
a standardised impact assessment model alongside a<br />
Strategic Investment Plan for the sector. This Investment<br />
Plan identifies those priorities for the sector which will be<br />
critical in the coming years. It will be for the <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong><br />
<strong>Group</strong> to present the Investment Strategy to <strong>Co</strong>uncil in<br />
the Autumn for adoption.<br />
The essence of the Investment Strategy is one of<br />
collaboration, one that recognises the power of<br />
partnerships in realising a truly ambitious vision.<br />
Already, there are examples of organisations combining<br />
their energies for mutual benefit. The Built Heritage<br />
<strong>Co</strong>nsortium is an example of a cluster headed by the<br />
Foyle Civic Trust and involving a number of cultural<br />
organisations who are custodians of built heritage<br />
assets within the City. This initiative is designed to<br />
secure economies of scale in the maintenance of built<br />
heritage assets, a worthwhile objective in its own right,<br />
with regards to the bottom line of the participating<br />
organisations. But there also exists the potential for<br />
shared learning and strategic capital development within<br />
the same cluster. And, quite rightly, the model is one<br />
upon which external funders are positively disposed.<br />
cultural sector generally and the <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> partners,<br />
in particular. Challenging conversations have been<br />
embraced in a spirit of openness and mutual respect. I<br />
note the recent symposium regarding the legacy impact<br />
10 years on from the UK City of <strong>Culture</strong> designation<br />
award. This was a conversation designed and led by<br />
the <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> cultural partners. The learning from this<br />
engagement has been incredibly valuable. It can be<br />
viewed as part of the long-term discussion relating to<br />
the equitable share of investment in the arts, this having<br />
become a key focus for the <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> <strong>Group</strong> over its<br />
tenure.<br />
The <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> structure lends itself to deal with<br />
emerging needs, a vital flexibility in turbulent times. Over<br />
the next 2-year term the <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> <strong>Group</strong> will deliver<br />
a new strategy, one that will build upon the knowledge<br />
gained through the Audience Development work, the<br />
<strong>Co</strong>llaborative Resilience Programme, the symposium<br />
events and engagement activities. It will be one fit for<br />
purpose for where we are at now yet retain the flexibility<br />
to adjust as circumstances dictate.<br />
I would like to give a heartfelt thankyou to those cultural<br />
partners who gave of their time these past 2 years. Your<br />
efforts have been very much appreciated and I trust that<br />
you have found the experience worthwhile.<br />
And to the <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> <strong>Group</strong> incoming, I wish you all the<br />
best of luck and I look forward to working with you over<br />
the coming months.<br />
The 4-year term of Strategy delivery to date has required<br />
a significant investment of time and effort from the<br />
5
<strong>Arts</strong> &<br />
<strong>Culture</strong><br />
Sector<br />
Engagement<br />
Report on critical<br />
actions 2021-23<br />
Steve Batts<br />
<strong>Co</strong>-<strong>Delivery</strong> <strong>Group</strong> Member & Lead on the <strong>Arts</strong> &<br />
<strong>Culture</strong> Lobbying Subgroup<br />
The process of developing a lobbying process to<br />
represent the concerns and interests of the arts and<br />
culture sector in DCSDC area has taken place over the<br />
period of the previous co-delivery group. It has been<br />
in close collaboration with DCSDC officers and council<br />
members. The process has been, at least to some degree<br />
effective. <strong>Co</strong>ncerns about the disparity in resources tend<br />
no longer to be dismissed as illegitimate and whingeing.<br />
They are explicitly acknowledged as legitimate.<br />
21-23 saw the co delivery group taking a lead in<br />
delivering ongoing sectoral engagement initiatives aimed<br />
at taking the pulse of our sector, our issues, concerns<br />
and achievements towards representing the needs and<br />
aspirations of our sector, fostering a unified approach to<br />
positive change and growth.<br />
Examples of <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> led sectoral engagement<br />
initiatives in the period include the NW <strong>Culture</strong> Exchange<br />
Symposium 2022, City <strong>Co</strong>nversation: A City of <strong>Culture</strong><br />
10 Years On <strong>2023</strong>, Creative <strong>Arts</strong> Network, <strong>2023</strong>, DFC<br />
Cultural Strategy Engagement Sessions, <strong>2023</strong>, <strong>Arts</strong> &<br />
<strong>Culture</strong> Hustings <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Significant developments have been made by the A &<br />
C <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> <strong>Group</strong> in respect of the development of<br />
an ongoing lobbying process to represent the concerns<br />
and interests of the arts and culture sector in the DCSDC<br />
area.<br />
This has seen extensive engagement with Department<br />
for <strong>Co</strong>mmunities (DFC), <strong>Arts</strong> <strong>Co</strong>uncil Northern Ireland<br />
(ACNI) and DCSDC on the issue of regional disparity.<br />
This process involved significant consultation with<br />
artists and arts organisations and led to the drafting of a<br />
discussion paper not as a list of demands or policy asks,<br />
rather it was intended to open up discussion around ways<br />
to address deep seated structural issues.<br />
In the paper, there is a comprehensive list of concerns<br />
and issues. Central to many of them is the, well<br />
evidenced, experience of long standing, structural underresourcing<br />
of the arts sector in the DCSDC area.<br />
With the support of local MLAs, the <strong>Co</strong> <strong>Delivery</strong> <strong>Group</strong><br />
presented the paper in a meeting with Minister Hargey<br />
and her team in the autumn of 2021 and subsequently<br />
met with personnel from DFC. Minister Deirdre Hargey’s<br />
acknowledgment of the issue and her invitation to<br />
engage with the DfC <strong>Arts</strong> branch civil service personnel<br />
raised hopes that the development of a DfC five-year<br />
strategy would give the opportunity to begin to seriously<br />
address historical disparities. The collapse of the regional<br />
government institutions has diminished the democratic<br />
leverage that we had developed. However, we remain<br />
hopeful that the report of the <strong>Arts</strong> and <strong>Culture</strong> Task<br />
Force to DfC and the subsequent full strategy to be<br />
developed in early 2024 will still reflect our concerns and<br />
commit to addressing them. Should this not prove to be<br />
the case we should be prepared to continue to lobby<br />
through the democratic channels.<br />
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3<br />
2<br />
4<br />
North West<br />
Audience<br />
Development<br />
Programme<br />
2021-23 saw the roll out of the North West Audience<br />
Development Action Plan with cross border projects<br />
targeting key audience segments: Families and Older<br />
People.<br />
The Action Plan, supported by the North West Regional<br />
Development <strong>Group</strong>, delivered by DCSDC and Donegal<br />
<strong>Co</strong>unty <strong>Co</strong>uncil, was developed following an extensive<br />
audience baseline survey tracking audience behaviour<br />
and identifying barriers to deeper and more frequent<br />
engagement.<br />
A key strand of the NW Audience Development project is<br />
the ongoing collection of audience data from among our<br />
cultural partners.<br />
Working with Thrive NI and cultural partners across Derry<br />
Strabane and Donegal, a shared impact methodology<br />
was designed and developed to capture information on<br />
audiences in the NW. This information will help the sector<br />
and individual organisations measure impact, inform and<br />
plan audience development initiatives.<br />
1<br />
Summer Family <strong>Co</strong>mmissions 2021<br />
26 artists and crew engaged in creation of 4 new touring<br />
works with 45 performances across Donegal, Derry &<br />
Strabane. 1712 number of in person audiences under<br />
mid-level <strong>Co</strong>vid guidelines. Image: Echo Echo Summer<br />
Splashes at Buncrana shore front,<br />
2<br />
Summer North West 2021<br />
A 2-month arts and cultural digital marketing campaign<br />
with an estimated reach of 720,475 and AVE of Euros<br />
27,639.15. Image: In Your Space Circus Summer Family<br />
<strong>Co</strong>mmissions.<br />
3<br />
Artists in Residence<br />
Artists in Residency to Care homes, urban and rural<br />
across Derry, Strabane & Donegal. Image: Longfield Care<br />
Home, Eglington Facilitators worked with groups of up<br />
to 10 residents offering arts, crafts, dance, music, circus<br />
skills programmes. “It was hugely rewarding building<br />
relationships with older people and discovering the<br />
story of their past lives and to see individuals surprise<br />
themselves with what they are capable of once they start<br />
making and developing their skills and enjoyment in the<br />
activity of making art” Facilitator, Sheila Byrne.<br />
4<br />
Older People’s Panel<br />
Image: Online meeting of the Older People’s Panel<br />
Older People’s Panel represents both arts and cultural<br />
and non-arts interests on a cross border, rural and urban<br />
offering insight from our older demographic, considering<br />
and advising on barriers to participation, what<br />
improvements can be made to support older people and<br />
encourage them toward creative activities.<br />
Examples of projects from the NW Audience<br />
Development Action Plan:<br />
7
North West Audience Development Survey<br />
Data overview from End of Year Report<br />
May <strong>2023</strong><br />
Over 3,100 responses from 40 organisations actively collecting<br />
What is your age?<br />
16 ~ 24: 4%<br />
25 ~ 34: 9%<br />
35 ~ 44: 21%<br />
45 ~ 54: 25%<br />
55 ~ 64: 23%<br />
65 ~ 74: 13%<br />
75+: 3%<br />
Do you identify<br />
as disabled?<br />
Yes: 4%<br />
No: 9%<br />
Prefer not to say: 21%<br />
Do you have<br />
children living in<br />
your household?<br />
Yes: 45%<br />
No: 54%<br />
Prefer not to say: 1%<br />
Attendance Patterns.<br />
Who did you attend with today?<br />
40%<br />
35%<br />
38%<br />
87%<br />
30%<br />
25%<br />
20%<br />
28%<br />
of North West<br />
audiences attended<br />
something cultural<br />
with others<br />
15%<br />
10%<br />
15%<br />
13%<br />
11%<br />
11%<br />
5%<br />
0%<br />
With spouse or partner<br />
With friends<br />
With younger children (0 - 11)<br />
By myself<br />
With older children (11 - 18)<br />
5%<br />
With an organised group<br />
4%<br />
With grandchildren<br />
Other (please specify)<br />
8
How was your overall<br />
experience?<br />
Would you recommend these<br />
events to family and friends?<br />
Very good<br />
75%<br />
Yes<br />
96%<br />
Good<br />
21%<br />
No<br />
1%<br />
Average<br />
3%<br />
Unsure<br />
3%<br />
Poor<br />
0%<br />
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%<br />
Very poor<br />
1%<br />
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%<br />
How do people feel about <strong>Arts</strong> & <strong>Culture</strong> in the North West?<br />
I think it is important to have these<br />
events/venues here<br />
81%<br />
17%<br />
1%<br />
The event/venue made me feel welcome<br />
68%<br />
28%<br />
0%<br />
3%<br />
This event/venue is for people like me<br />
64%<br />
29%<br />
1%<br />
6%<br />
I feel better for coming/joining in<br />
63%<br />
29%<br />
7%<br />
1%<br />
1%<br />
I felt connected to older people<br />
48%<br />
32%<br />
18%<br />
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%<br />
Strongly Agree<br />
Agree<br />
Neither Agree nor Disagree<br />
Disagree<br />
Strongly Disagree<br />
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Heritage<br />
DCSDC Heritage Plan -<br />
A Vision for our future<br />
2022-2027<br />
Inaugural meeting of the Heritage Stakeholder <strong>Group</strong>,<br />
Harbour House, Derry June <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Derry City & Strabane District <strong>Co</strong>uncil (DCSDC) in<br />
partnership with Department for <strong>Co</strong>mmunities – Historic<br />
Environment Division (HED) launched DCSDC’s Heritage<br />
Plan- A Vision for our future 2022-2027, in September<br />
2022.<br />
Heritage Mentoring and<br />
Cultural Programme<br />
Developed in partnership with the Heritage Venues<br />
<strong>Group</strong>, DCSDC commissioned an 18-month programme<br />
with funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund of<br />
£100,000, this programme provides mentoring support<br />
to 9 heritage organisations to enable them to establish<br />
their sustainable practice and pursue opportunities<br />
through collaborative working. The programme also<br />
appointed a Cultural Programmer to work closely with<br />
the Heritage Mentor in supporting the participating<br />
organisations to create high quality, innovative and<br />
engaging cultural programming.<br />
Developed through engagement with a wide range<br />
of heritage stakeholders from across the district, the<br />
plan reflects <strong>Co</strong>uncil’s commitment to promoting built<br />
heritage within the District. Its success will be dependent<br />
upon continuing the effective partnership between<br />
<strong>Co</strong>uncil and HED and our heritage organisations and<br />
stakeholders.<br />
The Heritage Plan sets out our aspirations for the historic<br />
built environment for the next 5 years and details<br />
objectives and actions across four key themes:<br />
• Understanding our Heritage<br />
• Protecting our heritage<br />
• Sustainably developing our heritage, and<br />
• Celebrating our heritage<br />
The Heritage Plan is available online using the following<br />
link: https://www.derrystrabane.com/services/<br />
regeneration/heritage-development-projects)<br />
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DCSDC<br />
Cultural<br />
Grant Aid<br />
Investment<br />
<strong>Co</strong>uncil administers a number of Cultural Grant Aid<br />
Programmes including the Cultural Organisation Fund,<br />
Heritage Animation & Visitor Servicing Programme,<br />
Access Programme for Cultural Organisations, Headline<br />
Events Funding Programme, <strong>Co</strong>mmunity Festival Funding<br />
Programme, the Artist & Cultural Practitioner Awards and<br />
subvention programme for one off national events. These<br />
programmes support a wide range of creative individuals,<br />
cultural organisations and events across the City and<br />
District. Here are just a few selected examples:<br />
National Events Subvention<br />
Scheme<br />
The National Events Subvention Scheme was established<br />
to encourage investment in National events, supporting<br />
the promotion of the District as a leading location for<br />
hosting World Class events and increasing the economic<br />
contribution of events.<br />
1<br />
The White Handkerchief<br />
Image from ‘The White Handkerchief’.<br />
Book and lyrics by Liam Campbell. Music by Brian O<br />
Doherty. Directed by Kieran Griffith. Produced by The<br />
Playhouse. ‘The White Handkerchief’, part of a trilogy<br />
of new works produced by The Playhouse, premiered<br />
live across the world on the 50th Anniversary of Bloody<br />
Sunday in 2022. The production received support<br />
through National Events Fund and gained acclamations<br />
from local and international audiences.<br />
★★★★ “intimate naturalism; rough comedy; epic<br />
monumentality... drama, music and movement are<br />
combined to potent effect.” The Observer<br />
Headline Events Fund<br />
The Headline Events Fund supports large scale festivals<br />
that can make a measurable contribution to priority<br />
outcomes identified in through community planning<br />
process and the DCSDC Tourism, and <strong>Arts</strong> and <strong>Culture</strong><br />
strategies. Headline Events have the potential to attract<br />
visitors from outside of the DCSDC area with the<br />
event showcasing the DCSDC area as a unique tourist<br />
destination. Fund recipients reflect a diverse arts and<br />
cultural ecosystem and include festivals celebrating<br />
and advancing Music (Choral, Traditional, Electronic,<br />
Classical), Circus & Street <strong>Arts</strong>, <strong>Co</strong>mmunity <strong>Arts</strong>, STEAM,<br />
Film & Screen.<br />
2<br />
Celtronic <strong>2023</strong>: A Photo Ravestory<br />
Image: Kerrie at Castle Gate, Derry.<br />
With our ‘No Phones/Cameras on the Dancefloor Policy’<br />
at Celtronic <strong>2023</strong>. Emmett McLaughlin snapped the<br />
festival headliners at locations across the city.<br />
Celtronic is one of Ireland’s premier electronic music<br />
festivals. Established in 2000, Celtronic promotes the<br />
creation and performance of world class electronic music.<br />
Celtronic features collaborative local and international<br />
producer, production, artist and industry support<br />
programmes and showcases national/international acts<br />
alongside the best emerging acts across all genres of<br />
electronic music in venues across Derry. Celtronic attracts<br />
local, national and international audiences. “Celtronic<br />
contributions to the local electronic music scene has<br />
been immeasurable over the years.” The Guardian<br />
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4<br />
<strong>Co</strong>mmunity Festivals Fund<br />
The <strong>Co</strong>mmunity Festivals Fund recognises the potential<br />
contribution that festivals can make to communities,<br />
to the local economy and wider Government policy<br />
priorities. The primary purpose of the community<br />
festivals fund is to improve the capacity of community<br />
led festivals and make and enable community<br />
organisations to celebrate cultural identity and to<br />
strengthen community relations.<br />
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Strabane Ethnic <strong>Co</strong>mmunity<br />
Association (SECA): Diwali<br />
Festival <strong>2023</strong><br />
Strabane Ethnic <strong>Co</strong>mmunity Association have been<br />
running the Diwali Festival since 2006. Diwali is an Indian<br />
Festival which celebrates new beginnings, the triumph<br />
of good over evil and light over darkness. SECA’s 3<br />
Day festival allows the local community to express and<br />
celebrate Indian culture through Indian art, dance, music<br />
food and clothes. The festival works closely with schools<br />
and community groups and actively promotes good<br />
relations, social inclusion and diversity awareness.<br />
Cultural Organisations<br />
Fund<br />
This fund was established in recognition of the<br />
contribution that our cultural organisations can make<br />
to communities, to the local economy and wider<br />
Government policy priorities.<br />
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Greater Shantallow <strong>Co</strong>mmunity <strong>Arts</strong><br />
Greater Shantallow <strong>Co</strong>mmunity <strong>Arts</strong> is a community<br />
arts organisation based in the Outer North Area of<br />
Derry. Through a diverse programme of arts and cultural<br />
activity, GSCA aims to address complex social issues,<br />
enrich lives and increase access to the arts. GSCA’s<br />
Studio 2 offers facilities, services and programmes that<br />
target those people at greatest risk of social exclusion<br />
and marginalisation and provides formal and informal<br />
creative learning opportunities utilising the services of<br />
professional artists, arts practice and arts facilitators.<br />
Image: ‘Spill the Tae’, a youth led mental health podcast<br />
at Studio 2.<br />
Access & Inclusion Grant Aid<br />
The primary purpose of this fund is to improve the<br />
accessibility of our cultural organisations contributing<br />
to the <strong>Co</strong>mmunity Planning action of “…promoting<br />
accessible cultural experiences”.<br />
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Millennium Forum: Changing Places<br />
& Accessibility improvements for<br />
performers and audiences<br />
The Millennium Forum is one of many Cultural Venues to<br />
benefit from the Access Grant Aid Programme. Using<br />
their Access Audit, the millennium Forum successfully<br />
applied to make changes to their front and back of house<br />
improving accessibility for both their audience members<br />
and performers.<br />
Heritage Animation & Visitor<br />
Servicing Programme<br />
The Heritage Animation Programme is focused on the<br />
delivery of an animation and visitor servicing programme<br />
specifically targeting the participation of heritage venues<br />
within the <strong>Co</strong>uncil area.<br />
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Museum of Free Derry<br />
Museum of Free Derry hosts permanent and temporary<br />
exhibitions and delivers a year-round programme of<br />
events and exhibitions as well as collaborations with<br />
schools, universities, community groups and local and<br />
international museums.<br />
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7<br />
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DCSDC Individual Artist<br />
and Cultural Practitioner<br />
Awards<br />
This fund aims to support local artists and practitioners<br />
to develop skills and opportunities in the creation of new<br />
work.<br />
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Abridged<br />
Still from ABRIDGED 0 – 85: YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE<br />
LOVED: SINÉAD O’DONNELL – BACKWARD.<br />
Curated by Gregory McCartney. Supported by Derry<br />
City & Strabane District <strong>Co</strong>uncil and DDASF 1 (Deaf &<br />
Disabled Artist Support Fund 1). Managed by University<br />
of Atypical.<br />
“This work challenges the barriers that we face as<br />
disabled people navigating society and the built<br />
environment. Over time the social and political upheavals<br />
and injustices against women have been breathed into<br />
the meaning of the work influenced by what place I am<br />
in and what the freedoms are for women and how they<br />
differ from culture to culture.” Artist, Sinéad O’Donnell<br />
Access & Inclusion<br />
Programme<br />
The Access & Inclusion Programme works to deliver<br />
practical supports and advocacy in partnership with the<br />
pan disability community towards removing barriers to<br />
full access and participation in arts and cultural activity.<br />
This includes supporting and delivering improvements to<br />
physical access, training opportunities, awareness raising<br />
and celebratory initiatives.<br />
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Wild Ones<br />
Created by Brona Jackson and produced by Replay<br />
Theatre <strong>Co</strong>mpany is a 30min, live, immersive sensory<br />
dance theatre experience for children under 5 who are<br />
neurodivergent and/or have profound and multiple<br />
learning disabilities (PMLD).<br />
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Launch of the Access and Inclusion<br />
Model (AIM)<br />
Resource Pack at Void Gallery in 2021, supported by the<br />
Public Health Agency in partnership with Developing<br />
Healthy <strong>Co</strong>mmunities.<br />
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Singing Mamas workshop<br />
Anna Nolan undertook ‘Singing Mamas’ leader training in<br />
Swindon before delivering pilot programmes which led to<br />
further engagement and employment opportunities for<br />
Anna and enhanced health and well-being impacts for<br />
participants.<br />
“Thanks for giving me the opportunity to start this<br />
journey. I have every intention to continue on this track.<br />
Being able to do this training has been such a rewarding<br />
experience!” Anna Nolan<br />
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Thank you<br />
arts & culture <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>Delivery</strong><br />
<strong>Group</strong> members 2021-23:<br />
Kevin Murphy, Chairperson<br />
The Playhouse<br />
Marc Geagan<br />
North West Regional <strong>Co</strong>llege<br />
Cian Smyth<br />
Ulster University Development & Alumni Relations<br />
Thomas Maguire<br />
Ulster University <strong>Arts</strong> and Humanities<br />
Edel MacBride<br />
Individual Artist & Craft<br />
Eibhlin Ni Dhochartaigh<br />
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin<br />
Kyle Thompson<br />
North West Cultural Partnership<br />
Lisa Heaney<br />
Millennium Forum<br />
Cath McBride<br />
In Your Space Circus<br />
Michael <strong>Co</strong>oper<br />
Derry Blue Badge<br />
Ollie Green<br />
Greater Shantallow <strong>Co</strong>mmunity <strong>Arts</strong><br />
Rachel Melaugh<br />
In Your Space Circus<br />
Sarika Shah<br />
Individual Artist, Sarika Art<br />
Steve Batts<br />
Echo Echo Dance Theatre<br />
Assumpta O’Neill<br />
Visit Derry