1 Comment
For the last 42 years, Newpoint Players have hosted a Summer School in Newry catering for twenty to thirty 14 to 18yr olds and even up to 120 young people on occasions.
Those who attend the Summer School experience acting, song, dance, writing, directing and the technical side of sound and lighting too for some.
The young people take part in the seven-week Summer School five days-a-week, for four hours-a-day and at the end of it, they put what they have learned into a production for a number of nights in the Town Hall or Sean Hollywood Arts Centre.
The Summer School has always been provided free by Newpoint Players for young people - a service Newry, Mourne and Down District Council does not provide as part of its arts strategy.
Over the years some household names have come through the Summer Schools including Susan Lynch, John Lynch, David Pearse, John Kearns, Mairead McKinley and Ben McAteer to name but a few.
The Council has been (as was the legacy Newry & Mourne DC) regular supporters of the youth Summer School through funding however this year, Newpoint Players’ application for funding was rejected.
In the rejection letter from the Council, it says, “the project application did not pass at least one of the criteria during Stage 2 of the assessment process and therefore was not selected to receive a grant” and continued, “The grant criteria your application did not pass was/were: The application failed to meet the minimum scoring threshold at assessment. The applicant failed to score over 50% in Stage 2 Scoring” but no specific reason for the rejection was given in the letter.
The Council did offer the opportunity ‘to have a debriefing’ regarding its application but this was politely declined on the basis Newpoint did not think their submission was inherently deficient and by joining the review process they would, ‘more or less be admitting to some inadequacy on our part’.
However, an appeal was heard before a ‘Review Panel’ which comprised of three (unnamed) members, ‘none of whom were involved in the original assessment process’.
The Panel upheld the original decision to refuse funding after it “reviewed the documentation, including Financial Assistance Assessment Review Process Policy, original application for Financial Assistance and supporting documents, your formal review request, copies of the Final Assessment Report and Scoring Matrix.”
But again, there was no specific reason given as to why Newpoint’s funding application had been rejected in the first instance.
“The Formal Review Panel has concluded that the scores and recommendations made during the assessment process were ‘reasonable’ and ‘proper procedures were followed’ and therefore the original decision is upheld” was their final word on it.”
Hands in their own pockets
As it stands, for 29 Rehearsals, one Dress/Technical rehearsal and four Performances, Newpoint Players, a voluntary group, will have to find in the region of £2,600 so that it can continue to provide this free service to local young people this summer.
The irony is that they will be hiring the Council owned Town Hall.
Newry.ie raised the rejection of funding with the five recently elected Newry councillors - four from Sinn Féin and two SDLP pointing out the lack of a specific reason and asking should it not be the case that the council supports the provision of such a service and opportunity being provided free to young people in Newry - a service the council fails to provide?
And, as Newry councillors what were they prepared to do on this?
Not much action
On behalf of the four Newry Sinn Féin councillors, a party spokesperson said: “It is disappointing to learn that Newpoint Players were unsuccessful in receiving this funding, it is also disappointing that the council has not provided real clarity to them on what made their application unsuccessful.
“It’s important that the council is open and transparent, particularly with groups applying for funding that is vital to their operations.
“All agencies should work to support local groups who provide services to support young people in our communities.
“British Government austerity policies have decimated the provision of public services over the last 10 years at both regional and local government level.
“Sinn Féin have and will continue to fight for resources to support these groups and the services they provide to young people in our communities.”
As the question wasn’t answered in the response, Newry.ie again asked if the Newry Sinn Féin councillors would step in and try to secure funding for Newpoint Youth’s forthcoming Summer School.
The party had not responded at the time of publishing.
* Responding for the SDLP, newly elected Newry City councillor Doire Finn said: “As I am sure you are aware, I am a past participant in the Newpoint youth summer scheme and as such am very aware of the incredibly positive impact it has for the young people that take part.
“I have made lifelong friends from the programme, and it undoubtedly increased my confidence and social skills therefore I was deeply annoyed to hear that funding has not been awarded.
“It goes without saying that I am supporter of the scheme, and I have sent a letter to Council Director Michael Lipsett which asks that clarity is given as to why their application was rejected and to ask them to reconsider this decision.
“In the 2022-2027 Arts Culture and Heritage strategy it states that the Council's vision is to ensure that by 2027 Newry, Mourne and Down has a rich cultural life that is celebrated and protected for future generations.
“The decision taken to not provide funding for the Newpoint youth summer scheme in my opinion does not work towards creating this vision.
“I will continue to liaise with Newpoint Players and will take any actions that I can to try and get this decision reversed.”
* Correction: 7/6/23 9.30am. We stated SDLP didn't reply. Cllr Doire Finn DID reply but for some reason email wasn't received. Happy to put the record straight.
