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Extern Northern Ireland awarded funding for Shared Island Creative Youth Partnership.
Today Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD, and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, announced the awarding of funding to 6 successful Creative Youth on a Shared Island projects as part of the Shared Island dimension to the Creative Ireland Programme 2023-2027.
The successful projects were created as a result of direct consultation with children and young people. They include a theatre project from Extern Northern Ireland who will be working with 20 young people from Greater Belfast and Dublin, who have multiple and complex needs by providing a safe space for them to tell their stories using Theatre of the Oppressed techniques. Extern Ireland and The MAC Belfast will be partnering with Extern Northern Ireland.
Other successful Creative Youth on a Shared Island projects include projects led by Music Generation, Tallaght Community Arts, Fighting Words, Macnas and Narrative 4.
In total, more than €1 million has been allocated to organisations that will join with like-minded organisations North and South on the island of Ireland to bring children and young people together to nurture collaboration, understanding, and hope for the future through active participation in creative projects.
Taoiseach Simon Harris TD said: “I am pleased to announce a total of €1million in funding for 6 projects under the Creative Youth on a Shared Island scheme. These projects span a wide range of art forms and demographics, reflecting the diversity, creativity and potential of young people across the island of Ireland. Each of the 6 projects funded will generate new connections between our young people and help create a shared future on this island.”
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD, said: “I warmly welcome this funding for projects under the Shared Island’s Creative Youth projects. The Shared Island initiative is about building connections between communities and people, and these imaginative proposals from youth groups across Ireland will have a real impact in creating meaningful connections.
This is a testament to the commitment and enthusiasm of communities to work together, North and South. I look forward to seeing these new creative projects come to life in the months and years ahead.”
Speaking today Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, said: “The Government’s Shared Island Initiative is supporting engagement across all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future. It is so important that those that represent the future of this island have a substantial role in contributing to this. It has been exceptional to see the standard and number of applications received from a diverse array of partnerships. I am therefore delighted to approve additional funding to a total of over €1 million for six creative projects far and wide and look forward to seeing what these young communities achieve.”