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A new project is encouraging farming families in Tyrone to take part in a year-long series of creative workshops.
The Sliabh Beagh Arts group was awarded more than £45,000 by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in August through its National Lottery Project Funding programme.
The grant is being used to support the Resonant Roots project, which is engaging local artists and rural communities, living near the Sliabh Beagh Mountain area, between Fermanagh, Tyrone and Monaghan, to explore issues around biodiversity and climate change through a series of collaborative, cross-disciplinary creative workshops.
Drawing on visual arts, storytelling, eco-arts, performance, site specific installations and printmaking, the project seeks to echo the voices of the land and the lived experiences of rural communities.
Donna Bannon, Arts Coordinator at Sliabh Beagh Arts, said: “We are delighted to receive support for the Resonant Roots Project.
“This investment enables us to deliver high-quality arts experiences in the Sliabh Beagh area, engaging local communities in meaningful, enjoyable creative practice.
“We have a wide range of exciting workshop strands designed to spark creativity and deepen connections between people and place.
“We look forward to working collaboratively with local artists and participants to enrich the region’s creative landscape and ensure our rural communities benefit from everything that joyful arts participation can bring.”
Patricia Lavery, Head of Community Arts and Education at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said: “This is lovely project is reaching deep into communities and getting people to think creatively about the landscape around them, the impact of climate change, and the role the community play as its curators and custodians.
“The Arts Council is delighted to support Sliabh Beagh as they prepare to mark their 25 anniversary in 2026 and look forward to seeing the work produced as a result of this project.”
Sliabh Beagh Arts was one of 75 organisation to be awards Arts Council National Lottery Funding this year.
This funding supports the development and creation of year-round arts activities and events through festivals, literature, drama, visual arts, music and community programming in communities across Northern Ireland.
