Grants totaling £400,115 have been awarded to support 23 community projects across Northern Ireland through the Arts and Mental Health Partnership Programme, with individual grants of up to £20,000. The initiative aims to bring arts organisations together with specialist mental health service providers to create projects targeting people experiencing disadvantage or exclusion, including individuals living with mental health challenges such as addictions and eating disorders.
Launched in 2024, the programme provides both specialist mental health support and training for artists, while also fostering arts-based projects within the community. Lorraine Calderwood from the Arts Council highlighted that the initiative focuses on delivering meaningful creative opportunities to some of the most vulnerable members of society. David Cutler of the Baring Foundation emphasized that the programme also addresses the mental health of artists, a group at high risk of mental health issues, and hopes the work will offer insights for similar initiatives across the UK.
Among the funded projects, Seacourt Print Workshop in Bangor will provide a safe environment for vulnerable people to engage in printmaking to support mental health and recovery. The Millennium Forum in Derry~Londonderry will run a youth-led drama and health project called OUR STAGE, combining workshops in drama, singing, dance, mindfulness, fitness, and resilience for young people aged 11–18.
The Armagh Tyrone Wellbeing Collective will deliver a 12-month programme of weekly arts and mental health workshops for all age groups, partnering with Apex Music Centre to offer affordable and accessible arts-based lessons and activities. In Mid-Ulster, the Ulster Orchestra Society will collaborate with STEPS and Glasgowbury to deliver arts workshops for adults living with mental health needs, focusing on rurally isolated communities.
Youth Action in Belfast will implement the SHINE programme, offering performing arts workshops and mini festivals for young people with moderate to severe disabilities who are living with mental health conditions. Additional details about awards, upcoming workshops, and mental health support for artists will be shared in the coming weeks through the Arts Council’s website and social media channels.
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