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Department for Communities Department for Communities An Roinn Pobal Depairtment fur Commonities

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  • Arts overview

    Topics:
    • Arts and culture, 
    • Arts

    The Department provides funding for the arts in Northern Ireland, sets arts policy and supports arts based initiatives.

    Arts Council

    Arts Council NI is an arm’s length body of the Department for Communities. The Department provides funding to Arts Council NI for distribution, and to enable it to develop the arts in Northern Ireland. Information on funding opportunities, both past and present, can be found on the Arts Council website

    • Arts Council NI

    The Partnership Agreement sets out the partnership arrangements agreed between the Department and Arts Council NI.

    • Partnership Agreement between the Department for Communities and Arts Council of Northern Ireland

    Ministerial letter of expectations 2025-26 - Arts Council NI

    The letter of expectations sets out the Minister’s priorities for 2025-26 to allow the Arts Council to frame its work to align with those priorities:

    • Ministerial letter of expectations 2025-26 - Arts Council NI

    Arts Council Strategy

    Arts Council Strategy aims to place the arts at the heart of social, economic and creative life in Northern Ireland. The Arts Council’s 5 year Strategic Framework for 2019-2024 is Inspire | Connect | Lead

    • Inspire | Connect | Lead

    Creative industries

    The Department plays a key role in supporting Creative Industries. The sector ranges from television to crafts, advertising to architecture and music to fashion design. The common thread is that the activities they pursue have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent.

    • Creative industries

    Websites of interest

    • Arts Council
    • Northern Ireland Screen
    • Grand Opera House
    • Lyric Theatre
    • The Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC)
    • Crescent Arts Centre
    • British Council
    • Ulster Orchestra
    • Arts & Business
    • The Playhouse
    • NI Opera
    • The Void
    • Craft NI
    • Invest NI
    • Creative and Cultural Skills
    • Ofcom
    • Thrive
    • Future Screens
    • Pixel Mill
    • Cinemagic
    • Belfast Film Festival
    • Into Film
    • Digital Film Archive

    Creative learning centres

    • NerveBelfast
    • Nerve Centre
    • Armagh Multi Media Access

    Related content

    • Creative industries
    • Culture, arts and heritage recovery taskforce
    • Heritage, Culture and Creativity (HCC) Programme
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