The Arts Council of Northern Ireland Funds Musicians of Ulster

The council has provided over £395,000 to musicians in Ulster to support the purchasing of new instruments

Through its Musical Instruments Scheme, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland has invested more than £395,000 for 43 musicians and ensembles in the province of Ulster in Northern Ireland.

Involving capital funding from the Department of Communities, the scheme is aimed at increasing the quality of music-making in Northern Ireland by helping its musicians replace old worn-out instruments and purchase new ones.

The 2023/24 funding awards were received by 14 professional individual musicians, 23 bands, and six professional and non-professional performing groups. 

Winners in the individual artists category included songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ursula Burns, who was awarded £7,500 to purchase a rare Dusty Strings Harp, which is also well suited for her travel and performance.

One of the winners in the bands category, the Comber Brass Band has been performing for over 120 years — the council’s support of £10,000 will allow them to purchase two new bass and baritone instruments.

In the Professional and Non-Professional Performing Groups category, winners included The Belfast Ensemble, which creates opera and theater productions. Their funding of £16,178 will enable them to purchase a Yamaha Keyboard Glockenspiel, which is not readily available to hire anywhere in Northern Ireland.

The full list of winners and past recipients of the Musical Instruments Scheme can be found here. 

“This important scheme will help support solo musicians, bands and musical groups buy or replace the instruments they need to fulfill their performance potential,” said the Council’s joint Director of Arts Development, Gilly Campbell in the press release. “Northern Ireland has a fine history of musicianship, one which is celebrated all over the world. Today’s funding announcement will go a long way in supporting that legacy, benefitting many performers across a broad range of genres including classical, jazz, traditional, contemporary and electronic music.”