National Lottery Funds Encourage Early Years Arts Organisation to 'Smile' |
25/02/2008
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has announced the recent allocation of £1 million National Lottery project funding grants to thirty three organisations across Northern Ireland.
This funding will enable organisations to deliver important new projects ranging from contemporary dance and music, literature and theatre productions to popular annual festivals such as the Belfast Children’s Festival and the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival.
One of the highlights from this funding round is the allocation of £20,000 to an exciting new project entitled Sing and Smile from the Newry based early years arts organisation, Sticky Fingers. This project marks a significant step to introduce children in their early years to music for the first time and it will showcase the important role that music can play in a child’s early life.
Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland comments, “Lottery funding to organisations such as Sticky Fingers proves that these awards make a real difference to communities across Northern Ireland. It is encouraging that our young children are able to unlock their own creativity through programmes such as this, reflecting the rich contribution that the arts can make at a community level.”
Grainne Powell, Artistic Director, Sticky Fingers, said, “We welcome the Arts Council’s support for Sing and Smile. This exciting project will open a door for many young children, enabling them to experience, respond to and enjoy the arts through music making. With this project we can provide parents with the confidence to use music and song to communicate with their young children whilst, enhancing the infants social, physical, emotional, listening and concentration skills.”
National Lottery Funding Allocations
| Young at Art | £86,628 |
| Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company | £53,881 |
| Association of Regional Theatres (NI) | £52,090 |
| Tinderbox Theatre Company | £50,000 |
| Kabosh | £45,935 |
| Ransom Productions Ltd | £42,000 |
| ArtsCare | £41,185 |
| The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival | £38,500 |
| Blackstaff Press Limited | £36,154 |
| Ulster Youth Orchestra | £34,750 |
| Cahoots NI Ltd | £30,000 |
| North West Play Resource Centre (The Playhouse) | £28,700 |
| Opera Theatre Company | £28,246 |
| Context Gallery | £28,051 |
| Creggan Education & Research Services | £27,500 |
| Partisan Productions | £27,300 |
| Gasyard Development Trust | £26,113 |
| Ulster Youth Choir | £25,990 |
| Crescent Arts Centre | £25,000 |
| Down District Council | £25,000 |
| Mid Ulster Women's Network | £23,665 |
| Bruiser Theatre Company | £22,680 |
| ADAPT NI | £22,500 |
| Colin Neighbourhood Partnership | £20,462 |
| Sticky Fingers Early Years Arts | £20,000 |
| New Belfast Community Arts Initiative | £19,850 |
| The Poetry Archive | £19,550 |
| Sole Purpose Productions | £18,855 |
| Belfast Exposed Photography | £18,640 |
| Down Community Arts Ltd | £17,930 |
| Fringe Performances Ltd | £17,000 |
| Music Theatre 4 Youth Ltd | £15,640 |
| Friends of Woodvale Park | £15,000 |
