NI arts sector welcomes £33m funding boost

The arts sector in Northern Ireland is set to benefit from a £33m funding boost.

It comes as part of a £1.57bn investment in cultural, arts and heritage institutions by the UK government.

Since these areas are devolved, the Executive will now decide how the money should be spent.

Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has welcomed the announcement.

She said: “The argument for a comprehensive package of support to local musicians, freelancers, theatres, artists, museums and the heritage sector at a time when they are struggling to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic cannot be overstated.”

The Arts Council said it was “delighted” with the news.

“It signals just how important the arts are to our economy, to our society and to our mental health and well-being,” a statement said.

In May, 150 people from the Northern Ireland music industry - including Van Morrison and the bands Snow Patrol and Ash - wrote a letter to the department asking for help.

The Arts Council says it could take up to a year-and-a-half for the sector to recalibrate itself after the coronavirus crisis. 

“The creative sector in Northern Ireland is projected to lose 20% (6,000) of its creative jobs and see a 23% (£300m) drop in creative industries gross value added,” it added.

“There is an urgent need to save those staff who have been furloughed, underwrite risk for the future safe, reopening of our venues and theatres, welcoming reduced audiences and we need to help them break even on box office in that context. 

“We must encourage audiences back to the arts, invest in outdoor events in the interim and increase the digital capacity of the sector.”