07/07/2010
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Dungannon based Brantry Bard Sessions Group recently completed a series of traditional music sessions at the Brantry Bard Cultural Activity Centre, County Tyrone, thanks to support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's Small Grants Programme.
Launched just 18 months ago, so far £500,000 has been distributed to 86 organisations through the programme to support arts projects in communities across Northern Ireland. Theatre companies, youth groups, disability arts organisations and traditional music projects are just some of those who have been presented with awards through the scheme.
With a grant of £6,125, Brantry Bard Sessions Group staged a programme of nine monthly performances between September 2009 and June 2010. The sessions provided opportunities for amateur musicians to come together to perform and explore traditional music with some of the biggest names in the business.
Edel Murphy, Small Grants Programme Officer at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland said: "With support from the Small Grants Programme, the Brantry Bard Sessions Group successfully engaged with their community to present an inspirational series of traditional music performances.
"Through the Small Grants programme we have been able to support a huge variety of high quality, well organised arts projects, proving that sometimes a small amount of money can have a big impact."
Mark Mohan from Brantry Bard Sessions Group explained how the Small Grants Programme helped them: "The Bard Sessions were a complete success and simply would not have happened without the support of the Arts Council's Small Grants Programme.
"The Bard Sessions have proved to be the main driver in establishing the Brantry Bard Cultural Activity Centre as a key venue for traditional arts in South Tyrone. This would not have been possible without the support of the Arts Council NI, to which we are deeply indebted. The Small Grants Programme affords groups like ours the opportunity to develop and implement arts projects that may not otherwise get off the ground."
Applicants can apply to the Small Grants Programme for community based arts projects at any time throughout the year for awards between £500 and £10,000.
To find out more about the Small Grants Programme and how to apply visit www.artscouncil-ni.org.
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