In the last 12 months in Northern Ireland, Visual Artists Ireland have made contributions to public consultations from: former governmental department DCAL, regarding a new National Strategy for the Arts; Belfast City Council, for their Cultural Framework for the city 2016-2020; the new Department of Communities, and their draft Programme for Government for 2016-2021; we support and contribute to the #ArtsMatterNI lobbying campaign; and we continue to support and encourage individual artists, grassroots organisations, collectives, studio groups and artist-led spaces advocate for themselves.

There are many practical ways that individual artists can get involved and let your voice be heard in support of the arts.

#ArtsMatterNI
https://www.artsmatterni.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/artsmatterni/

#ArtsMatterNI is a cross-disciplinary arts sector lobbying campaign, set up in response to continued cuts to funding across the sector. The website lists many ways that individual artists can get involved including the twitter accounts of all local representatives, upcoming events, current campaigns and images to use on your website and in emails. Their active Facebook page is also a good resource.

Contact your representatives
Visual Artists Ireland’s advocacy work is at the core of what we do. Both nationally and locally we are in constant communications both with our members and with people who can help bring change. But, as a grassroots organisation it is also important that this advocacy takes is undertaken by all visual artists who feel that they want to see change.

https://visualartists.org.uk/advocacy-advice-and-membership-services/advocate-local-level/

Find the contact details of your local MP, MLA, Councillors and other elected representatives at https://www.writetothem.com

Belfast Visual Arts Forum
https://www.facebook.com/BelfastVisualArtsForum/

The Belfast Visual Arts Forum was set up in May 2014 and is a self elected group of organisations and individuals that define themselves as the Visual Arts Sector in Belfast. The group is open to all and meets every other month at different members’ venues. The BVAF is supported by Belfast City Council and has representatives of ACNI and AudiencesNI on the steering group. The group is a great way to collaborate with other organisations in the city as well as combine resources and knowledge to make the sector stronger.

Facebook groups
There are many active arts communities on Facebook with members from across Northern Ireland, you can search for any of the following groups to join. Joining Facebook groups allows artists to collaborate and share information and are a great way to generate grassroots support for lobbying and advocacy campaigns.

Firsty? – https://www.facebook.com/groups/firsty/
Firsty? North – https://www.facebook.com/groups/352242028131604/
Independent Artist Forum – https://www.facebook.com/groups/independentartistforum/
#artsNI – https://www.facebook.com/groups/artsNI/
#DERRYcreatives – https://www.facebook.com/groups/DERRYcreatives/

Studios groups & Collectives
There are many studios groups and collectives across Northern Ireland and many of them have associate membership schemes for artists so that even when studio spaces might not be available, there are other ways to engage with the group

North Armagh Artist Collective – https://www.facebook.com/naac1
Creative Village Arts (Derry) – https://www.facebook.com/CreativeVillageArts/
Belfast Open Studios – https://www.belfastopenstudios.com for Belfast based studio groups
Catalyst Arts – https://www.catalstarts.org.uk
Boom! Collective (Bangor) – https://www.facebook.com/BoomStudios/

We are happy to share links to your collectives or groups if we have not listed you here.