“It allows us to unlock stories, memories and experiences of an authentic Belfast”
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Tracy Kelly, launching the new Belfast Stories grant
Belfast communities are being urged to use new funding to help tell their own stories. Belfast City Council is inviting community and cultural organisations to apply for the new Belfast Stories Community Grants Programme.
The new grants programme is a £250,000 initiative to support story-based projects across the city. It will offer ten small grants of up to £10,000, and five creative project grants of up to £30,000, to support initiatives across a broad range of creative fields that explore cultural identity, heritage and creativity through storytelling.
Applications open today, Thursday, February 19, and close at 4pm on Tuesday, April 14, with projects anticipated to run between June 2026 and March 2027.
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Belfast Stories, the flagship Belfast Region City Deal tourism and regeneration project, is expected to open by 2030 at the Art Deco former Bank of Ireland building and the surrounding 5,000 square metre site on the corner of Royal Avenue and North Street.
Described as a public space, visitor attraction and creative hub, the multi-purpose destination is anticipated to attract more than 700,000 visitors per year.
Central to the project is a commitment to support communities to tell their own stories across the city, as well as creating opportunities for people to discover new stories.
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly said: “Belfast Stories is an ambitious project that is rooted in celebrating the people of Belfast and preserving the stories and experiences that connect them to this place. This grants programme creates meaningful ways for people to share their stories, whilst ensuring that Belfast Stories will be inclusive and representative of the many communities that make up our city.”
Groups are encouraged to develop projects that get local people involved in gathering, sharing or creatively responding to stories connected to their community.
Wendy Langham, Programme Director of Belfast Stories, said: “This grants programme brings momentum to Belfast Stories. It allows us to connect with community groups and leverage the power of creativity to unlock stories, memories and experiences of an authentic Belfast.
“Communities have an important role to play in the future of the Belfast Stories project, and we recognise that the Belfast Stories building will be part of a rich network of storytelling across the city.”
Information sessions will take place across the city and online in late February and early March. For guidance and application details, email belfaststories@belfastcity.gov.uk or visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/funding
Earlier this month, a pre-application Community Consultation, sharing updated proposals and designs for public comment, was completed in advance of a planning application being submitted later this year.
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