Live Music Now Northern Ireland has received continued support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Annual Funding Programme, ensuring a second year of investment in its work across health, education and community settings.

The funding will allow the organisation to deliver a wide range of programmes designed to improve access to live music for people who often face barriers, including children in specialist education, older people and those living with dementia. It will also provide paid opportunities, mentoring and training for local musicians, helping to build sustainable careers while fostering wellbeing in communities across the region.

Margaret Kelly, Programme Director for Live Music Now NI, said:

“We’re delighted and grateful to receive AFP funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for a second year. This continued support means we can deepen our work using music within health and education settings and delivering specialist training sessions for professional musician and staff in partner venues. We are especially excited to expand our Music and Autism programme through a year-long research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to support musical opportunities for pupils in Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools.

We will also continue to work in special schools across Northern Ireland, rolling out our ‘Inspire’ and ‘Count Me In’ projects and launching an online concert series ‘Musical Monday’. The funding also means we can continue our much-loved Songs and Scones concert series in Limavady and our ‘Live Music in Care’ supporting older people living with dementia. It’s shaping up to be a transformative year for both musicians and communities alike!”

With this renewed support, Live Music Now NI continues to strengthen its role as a vital connector, bringing live music into spaces where it can make the greatest difference.