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None of Newry's Arts and Culture organisations managed to get funding in the most recent funding call for Arts and Culture Projects by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. A total of five groups applied with at least three of them passing scoring and being eligible for funding but funding wasn't awarded. The application allowed groups to apply for up to £10,000. Successful applicants to the funding stream requested £158,664 but only £78,214 was awarded in total.
It comes at a time when Newry's arts offerings are under serious strain with the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre closed ever since the Covid Pandemic and news that no more bookings can be made in Newry Town Hall from later this year.
It leaves some local organisations struggling to make up the shortfall to hold their events and festivals. Newry 2020 were awarded a total of £29,000 Council funding in 2022 for Iúr Cinn Fleadh but only £13,200 in 2023.
In the Agenda for this months Active and Healthy Communities meeting on 19 June it states that 34 applications were received with 19 of these passing stage 2 scoring and therefore eligible for funding. Out of the 19 who passed only 13 were awarded funding. A total of 15 failed in their bid either failing basic eligibility or failing to attain enough stage two scoring.
A note in the agenda stated that "Priority will be given to applicants who have not received funding in Call 1, therefore applicants who passed Stage 2 scoring will be added to the Scored and Ranked list should future funding become available."
Sticky Fingers Arts and Newry 2020 were two of the Newry groups who applied and passed the funding criteria but weren't awarded the Arts funding. Both organisations received funding of £15,000 and £13,200 respectively in Call 1. Six of the other organisations in other areas of the district also received funding in Call 1 and were awarded the Arts and Culture Projects funding in Call 2.
