Funding is available for arts organisations in Northern Ireland to support the costs of new commissions for specific performances and/or other forms of public presentation.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland's Commissioning Programme is intended to enable organisations to produce new work. The finished work should be in a form capable of being presented, exhibited, published, performed and/or disseminated in its entirety at the point of completion in Northern Ireland (if applicable abroad) either live or online.

Priority will be given to applications that:

Propose commissions of high artistic quality.
Are planned to reach significant audiences primarily in Northern Ireland through live performance, exhibition, publication, broadcast, recording, and/or other audience channels.
Provide for an extended life and/or extended public reach and impact for the work or project that has been created.
Demonstrate a strong collaborative-engagement process between the commissioner, performers and the commissioned artist(s) in the development of the new work.
Demonstrate innovation and deepen the experience and understanding of the artform.

Grants of up to £25,000 are available for projects taking place between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024.

The grant supports fees paid to the artist(s) by the commissioning organisation. All other costs relating to the rehearsal, production, presentation, exhibition or dissemination of the commissioned work must be borne by the commissioner.

In addition to the maximum amount permitted, the Arts Council will also consider access costs specifically relating to the making of work by D/deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent artists. An amount of up to £3,000 each year is available within the grant for such successful applicants.

The deadline for applications 1 November 2023 (12 noon).

For more information and to apply, please visit National Lottery Commissioning Programme | Arts Council NI (artscouncil-ni.org)