Council grant award system challenged by Derry Feis

Derry City and Strabane District Council has been challenged over its “perennial” refusal to award funding to the Derry Feis.

Speaking to the Derry News, Aisling Bonner, the secretary of Feis Dhoire Cholmcille said repeated attempts to obtain Council funding had been “rebuffed”.

She also called on the local authority to explain with “complete and utter transparency its marking system for grant awards”.

“Is it the case that the reward system needs reviewed and independently proven that it is fit for purpose and fair and equal for all?” said Ms Bonner.

Founded in 1922, Feis Dhoire Cholmcille is a week-long, multi-disciplinary, arts event which takes place in the city every Easter.

She added: “Ultimately, we strongly feel the time has come for Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) to explain its awarding criterion, definitively and with complete and utter transparency, and also give an explanation about how it believes such awards provide value for money from the public purse.

“Derry Feis is a charity, which for more than 100 years has been at the forefront of the arts scene in the northwest. After many years of applying for a grant from Council’s Community Festival Fund, we have been perennially denied financial aid. We are at a complete loss as to why we have been unsuccessful.

“To add insult to injury, this year we were informed that we had been successful. However, unbelievably, we were eventually told the money had run out before any actual award was made.”

She continued: “Derry Feis feels totally ignored by Council when it comes to funding.

“This even though annually we have 3,000 children taking part in positive, life-affirming and confidence building arts competitions, in an event which operates on a totally voluntary basis.

“It appears to us, Council seems unwilling to support very long established and worthy events on their own doorstep. How is it that some events get upwards of £10,000 and more every year while others get nothing?”

A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council said that the Derry Feis has long been a platform for local talent and is an important cultural showcase event for the city and district.

The spokesperson said: “Council offers support to a wide range local arts and culture organisations through its Cultural Grant Aid Programme. This funding is open to all organisations and is allocated through a fair, robust and accountable application process that has been endorsed by elected representatives. Scores are awarded based on the applications responses and are not compared with one another, but scored based on the scores allocated.

“Each fund is allocated annually through a competitive process where applicants are invited to make submissions within a range of categories. These funding opportunities are extensively promoted in advance with Council Officers also providing advice to assist with the application process.

“Council received correspondence from the Feis in relation to their application and has provided a comprehensive response to questions raised in relation to their application and to offer them the opportunity to meet with officers to go through the feedback on the process.

“The Council in that correspondence advised the Feis that as with the current process, should any savings be found for events during the current financial year, then it will allocated to the highest scoring event on the list.

“This year the total value of eligible applications received across all of the Culture funds was £706,475, of which Council will award £347,400, a significant increase on previous years.

“While Council is committed to supporting these funds, it does unfortunately have limited resources at its disposal and with a fund as competitive as this, it is extremely difficult to fund everyone.

“The sustainability of all our cultural/arts venues and organisations remains a key priority for Council and every effort is being made to identify and secure the additional resources required to meet the demands of the relevant grant aid programmes in the coming years. Council fully recognises the many challenges faced by our cultural and arts organisations including the Derry Feis.

“Council works very hard with its limited resources to provide funding support to as many local arts and culture sector every year and is very aware of the challenges faced by many organisations and is very committed to assist and support where it can.

“The Council has a very positive working relationship with the local Feis committee and hopes it will avail of the opportunity to meet with officers to get feedback and advice on their application.”