Artists living in ‘relative poverty’ warns Arts Council Northern Ireland boss

Artists in Northern Ireland are living in “relative poverty” and having to take on several other jobs to pay the bills, the chief executive of Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) has warned.

Speaking at a Stormont committee scrutinising the work of the Department for Communities, Roisín McDonough warned that the nation was haemorrhaging talent as she asked government for additional resources for ACNI to help support the sector.

According to figures released last year by the University of Warwick and the Campaign for the Arts, in 2023/2024, grant-in-aid income per capita to Arts Council Northern Ireland was £6.99 compared with £9.46 for Arts Council England, £10.50 for Arts Council Wales and £10.86 for Creative Scotland.

Addressing the committee, McDonough highlighted the stresses placed on ACNI, which she said is “very small” with 47 members of staff dealing with the “enormous strain” of a 137% increase in funding applications.

“[This] really hampers the amount of engagement that we would wish that we could have in going out and about across Northern Ireland, encouraging applications from various organisations in local areas,” said McDonough.

“We’re not pleading a special case, but we’re saying we, too, make a contribution that is valid and needs to be recognised.”