Architecture

Artform News

3rd April 2008
Recruitment Opportunity
Arts Development Officer (Architecture and Art for the Public Realm)

10th December 2007
Arts Sector rally to Save the Arts

6th September 2007
MacNeice House Welcomes Public on European Heritage Open Days

Background

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the lead agency in the region for the promotion of design quality in the built environment. At the heart of its Architecture and the Built Environment: Policies, Strategies and Actions document (published in 2003) is the belief that good buildings and public spaces enhance the quality of life for both citizens and visitors to Northern Ireland.

The Arts Council promotes excellence in the capital arts projects which it funds through the National Lottery (see Building for the Arts: Celebrating 10 Years of Lottery Funding, published 2004) and encourages the integration of public art in civic spaces, the urban and rural landscape and in public buildings, again supporting high quality projects through Lottery resources (see the Public Art Handbook for Northern Ireland, published 2005).

Current initiatives

The Arts Council is also actively engaged in making recommendations on raising design quality to government, is represented on the Architecture Policy for Northern Ireland Inter-departmental Steering Group and regularly participates in advisory panels to government agencies. The Council also funds a wide range of activities, through both Revenue and Lottery resources, which are aimed at raising awareness and promoting critical debate and community participation.

In 2004 it ran a dedicated Architecture Special Initiative which attracted applications for built environment-related projects, ranging from publications to lectures and seminars, and from education projects to exhibitions; applications for future projects along these lines are now welcomed to the mainstream Lottery Access and New Work schemes. The Arts Council also provides substantial core and programming funding to PLACE, the built environment centre for Northern Ireland which opened in Belfast in late 2004 – the Arts Council sees PLACE as an important forum for engaging with the public on key issues.

The Arts Council also works in partnership with other bodies, such as the two Universities and PLACE, to deliver wide-ranging architecture-related events, not least the Architecture Week programme which it funds in the province. The Arts Council also promotes and rewards excellence in professional practice by sponsoring the prestigious national Civic Trust Special Public Realm Award for Northern Ireland. Finally, the Arts Council welcomes applications from architects and design professionals seeking to develop their individual practice to its Support for the Individual Artist Programme.

Publications and Information

Funding Policy	Artform Policy Document (PDF)


Architecture and Built Environment Policy	Policy (PDF) Press Release (Web Page)
	Consultation Document (PDF)

Guide to MacNeice House	History of the Arts Council Premises (PDF)

Building for the Arts	10 Years of Lottery Funding (PDF)

Space for Learning	Handbook for Educational Spaces in Cultural Institutions (PDF)

Contact Us

Further information on any of the Council’s funding programmes and/or its strategic interests in Architecture may be obtained from:

Paul Harron
Arts Development Officer (Architecture and Public Art)
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
MacNeice House
77 Malone Road
Belfast. BT9 6AQ
Tel: 028 9038 5203
Email: pharron@artscouncil-ni.org

Relevant Links

Arts Council useful links (Architecture)

Island Arts Centre

Arts Council of Northern Ireland