University of Atypical

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the primary funding and development organisation for the arts sector in the region. It distributes funds from its sponsor, the Department for Communities, and from the National Lottery. The council's mission is to support, develop, and champion high-quality arts and cultural activity by artists, arts practitioners, organisations, and communities throughout Northern Ireland. It aims to make the arts accessible to everyone, creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to participate and bringing communities together. Reported impact includes a £20.1m investment in the arts, reaching 2.2 million audience members and participants, with 77% population engagement.

Arts for All is a community arts organisation located in Belfast's Cityside Retail Park. For 24 years, it has served as a base for community arts in north Belfast, with a core mission to offer participation in the arts to support community development, education, and social cohesion. The organisation's vision is to help create a more cohesive, confident, and creative community. It believes positive change is achievable through arts projects that improve residents' lives and foster ongoing community involvement. Initiatives include the 'I am Inspired' Project, started in 2017, which provides a space for adults with learning disabilities to engage with various art mediums. Thanks to funders, community art classes are offered at no cost to remove financial barriers. The organisation also operates the John Luke Gallery, an exhibition space for both emerging and established artists, hosting over 24 exhibitions annually.

Community Arts Partnership is an independent advocate for community arts with a mission to lead in the promotion, development, and delivery of the practice to affect positive change. The organisation envisions a just, inclusive, and creative society where participation is valued. Its approach is two-fold: supporting access and participation by influencing policy through advocacy, and promoting authorship and ownership through active project engagement. Key programmes include Landmarks, TRASH Fashion, and Hit the North with Hennessy. The partnership also supports the wider arts sector in Northern Ireland through publications. These include 'The Weekly', a roundup of news, events, and opportunities, and 'The Monthly', an online magazine providing analysis on issues affecting community arts, with editions for Community Arts, Dance, and Poetry.