Drama Festival committee seek urgent meeting to discuss funding

ORGANISERS behind Strabane Drama Festival have urgently requested a meeting with the Business and Culture Committee at council following the festival’s denial of funding for the second year in a row.

The news – delivered this week as the organisers prepared to launch their 2024 programme – comes as a devastating blow to the festival, which has been a cornerstone of cultural life in Strabane for 38 years.

This time however, the denial of funding could be the final curtain for the festival, which had consistently attracted packed houses.

Strabane Drama Festival committee member Aodh McCay described the decision like “a kick in the teeth.”

“Once again, we are left out in the cold in terms of funding,” he said. “The festival needs, realistically, £12,000 per year to keep going.

“We had applied for ten thousand which, in truth, we never get but can make do if profits from the previous festival are included. To get nothing is a kick in the teeth for the second-longest running festival in the council district behind Halloween.

“It seems you can put on anything these days, call it a ‘festival’ and get funding; I see no reason why this important cultural event, attracting visitors and groups from all over Ireland, should be financially crippled. It’s vital we get to plead our case to the committee to keep the festival alive.”

Taking aim at the selection process, he continued, “Those empowered to make the decisions are not told which organisations apply for funding, which I suppose is to ensure no favouritism. But I think if they knew who the money was going to, then the decision makers would understand that our drama festival through its longevity and attendance, is worthy of funding.

“There are costs which have to be met in terms of hire of the Alley which is money that goes straight back to council anyway; rehearsals, accommodation and participation fees and it all adds up. To ensure we got it right, the committee enlisted the help of the Arts and Business Council when it came to filling out the funding application; it still made no difference as we got the same marks as before.”

He added, “Truth be told, we don’t know whether 2025 is possible. We may, and I stress ‘may’, be able to put on a smaller festival if allowed or defer a year and come back in 2026 for the 40th anniversary or, worse case scenario, say goodbye although we don’t want to do that.”

When contact this week, a spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council stated, “This year the total value of eligible applications received across all of the Culture funds was £706,475, of which council will award £347,400, a significant increase on previous years.

“While Council is committed to supporting these funds, it does unfortunately have limited resources at its disposal and with a fund as competitive as this it is difficult to fund everyone.”