Culture Minister welcomes £1.31million Legacy Trust

Six Northern Ireland projects which bring together arts and sports are to benefit from funding of £1.31million in the lead up the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Welcoming the announcement made by the Legacy Trust UK (LTUK), Culture and Arts Minister Gregory Campbell said: “These unique projects will help a number of young people celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and learn more about the ethos of the Games.

“Sports and arts will be working together resulting in new collaborations and opportunities to exchange skills with each other while striving, as always, to achieve excellence.”

Northern Ireland is one amongst the three devolved nations and nine English regions to receive this funding. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI), will be responsible for the delivery of the funding to the project lead partners, coordinating the programme and ensuring that it provides a legacy beyond the Games in 2012.

Northern Ireland’s Legacy Trust Programme is known as Connections – Connecting Cultures: Inspiring Excellence. The programme contains six separate themes including dance and sport; physical theatre/circus and gymnastics; music/poetry and sport; children’s theatre and children’s sport and disability arts and sport.

Chair of the Board of Legacy Trust UK, Dugald Mackie, said: ”Legacy Trust UK has awarded funds to each region and country of the UK to develop and support innovative and exciting projects in communities embracing the values of the 2012 Games. In Northern Ireland, we are funding an innovative programme of activities that will engage the community in sport and the arts, encourage excellence and help diverse groups to share and explore their experience. This will promote closer working between the two sectors, which in turn will leave a lasting legacy.”

Chair of the Arts Council, Rosemary Kelly emphasised the importance of this award of funding. She said: “In the current difficult funding environment for the arts in Northern Ireland, Legacy Trust UK is giving us a special opportunity to be associated with one of the most unique events of our times. We are particularly enthusiastic to share artistic experiences with our colleagues in the world of sport.”

Echoing these comments, Chair of Sport Northern Ireland, Dominic Walsh said: “Jointly working with arts organisations on projects emphasising excellence and achievement is new territory for sport in Northern Ireland but is a very interesting proposition and a welcome development. I have no doubt that all the young people will have much to learn and gain from these experiences.”

Each of these six themes will emphasise excellence and achievement and focus on interaction between arts and sport.

Commenting on the range of themes within the ‘Connections’ Programme, the Minister said: “The potential for the creation of innovative and lasting relationships between arts, sport and across the community should be exploited to its fullest potential through each programme. It is a very exciting piece of news for young people who are involved in sports and the arts at all levels.

“For the project lead partners it will be a development experience that will challenge and stimulate them and create new networks and partnerships.”

The projects will commence in September 2009 and run until June 2012.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Legacy Trust UK is a charitable trust funded by the Big Lottery Fund; Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England. It has total funds £40million of which £24million has been allocated to the three devolved nations and nine English regions for arts and sports projects providing a legacy of the London 2012 Games.

2. The Legacy Trust’s mission is to support a wide range of innovative cultural and sporting activities for all, which celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and which will leave a lasting legacy in communities throughout the United Kingdom.

3. Six lead organisations have been selected to become project lead partners and coordinate each project:

Dance and Sport – Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company
Physical Theatre/Circus and Gymnastics – The BEAT Initiative
Music /Poetry and Sport – Ulster Orchestra
Children’s Theatre and Children’s Sport – Bardic Educational Arts & Media
Visual Arts/Film and Sport – Northern Ireland Screen
Disability Arts and Sport – Open Arts

4. Further details of each of the projects can be seen on the 2012 Games page of the dcal website.

5. Media enquiries should be addressed to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Press Office. Tel (028) 90515 046 or email press.office@dcalni.gov.uk. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.