Creative Ireland Shared Island Funding Information Session at the MAC

17 Dec 2025

Community groups, artists and organisations across Northern Ireland are invited to join a Creative Ireland Shared Island Funding Information Session at the MAC in January.

Hosted by Creative Ireland, this free session is designed for anyone interested in learning more about the Creative Ireland Shared Island programme, upcoming grant calls, and opportunities to collaborate across the island of Ireland.

What is the Shared Island programme?

The Creative Ireland Shared Island programme supports cross-border creative projects that bring people, places and communities together through arts, culture and creativity. Funded projects often explore shared heritage, contemporary issues and future-focused collaboration, with strong emphasis on partnership and community engagement.

Whether you are:

part of a community or voluntary group
an arts or cultural organisation
an individual artist or creative producer
or exploring cross-border collaboration for the first time

this session is an opportunity to find out what’s possible and how to get involved.

What to expect from the session

The Belfast information session will:

outline the current Creative Ireland Shared Island grant calls
explain what types of projects are supported
share insights from previous funded projects
offer guidance on developing partnerships, including finding collaborators south of the border
provide space for questions, conversation and networking

Previous Shared Island funding rounds have shown that these sessions are particularly valuable for early-stage ideas and for connecting with potential partners beyond your immediate network.

Date & location

Creative Ireland Shared Island Funding Information Session
Wednesday 14 January
the MAC, Belfast

The session is free to attend, but advance registration is required.

Register here:
https://www.creativeireland.gov.ie/creative-grant-call-2025/

Thinking about applying?

If you’d like to explore the kinds of projects Creative Ireland has supported to date, you can view examples from the first funding round here

You can also read the Creative Ireland Shared Island evaluation report, which offers useful insight into the programme’s impact and learning.

Spread the word

This session is open to anyone in Northern Ireland with an interest in cross-border creative collaboration. If you know a group, artist or organisation who might benefit, please feel free to share this opportunity.

We’re delighted to host Creative Ireland at the MAC and to welcome conversations that strengthen creative connections across the island.