For the first time in its history, Live Music Now has been awarded principal funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, marking a significant milestone for the organization.
This vital support will enable the delivery of a wide range of projects across Northern Ireland, with a focus on musician development, inclusive music-making for children and young people, community engagement through music, and promoting wellbeing in health and care settings. The funding will also strengthen advocacy and communications efforts around the power of live music.
Through these initiatives, Live Music Now aims to harness the transformative power of music to address social challenges, particularly by reducing health inequalities for marginalized groups. The projects will focus on supporting children facing disabling barriers through such residencies as the Inspire programme, as well as older people experiencing loneliness and isolation with whom we have been delivering concerts in partnership with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust to such day centres as Carlisle, Edgecumbe, and Knockbracken.
“We are so thankful to Arts Council of NI for their support through the Annual Funding Programme. It will allow us to explore new creative horizons, connect with audiences, and amplify the power of music. We are excited to make an impact together!”
– Margaret Kelly, Project Manager, Live Music Now
As part of this endeavour, we are committed to engaging young musicians from a diverse range of genres. We will provide Northern Irish musicians with the tools necessary to build successful careers, develop resilience, and adapt their practice in an evolving world. This will be achieved through specialist training, mentoring, and opportunities for paid work.
Earlier this year, we held two inclusive recruitment workshops in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry, welcoming 16 new musicians into the Live Music Now program. These artists will benefit directly from the support made possible by this funding as they contribute to the delivery of these impactful projects. For more information on our latest recruitment, click here.