Culture Night 2022: Guidance Notes
Background to Culture Night
Culture Night is a UK and Ireland-wide initiative that celebrates arts, culture and creativity. To mark Culture Night, galleries, arts and cultural centres, museums, artists’ studios, historic buildings, churches and other places of cultural interest are encouraged to open their doors to the public to showcase their programmes, activities and facilities.
Culture Night provides free entertainment to the public, as well providing local artists and arts and cultural organisations with an opportunity to engage with new audiences and participants. On the island of Ireland, the first Culture Night was held in Dublin in 2004 followed by Belfast in 2009. Omagh hosted its first ever Culture Night in 2013, followed by Enniskillen in 2015.
In 2021, Fermanagh & Omagh District Council’s Culture Night was delivered through a blended model of livestream, pre-recorded and in-person events. There were 24 events across the district, involving 21 groups, more than 550 participants and attracting off and online audiences in excess of 152,000 people.
Fermanagh & Omagh Culture Night 2022
Culture Night 2022 will be a wonderful opportunity for local artists, organisations as well as communities to reunite together after a difficult period post pandemic and contribute significantly towards the cultural wellbeing of and quality of life for our residents.
As with previous years programmes, Culture Night will focus on celebrating culture through local communities, taking a broader approach to culture than just arts. We would like Expressions of Interest from across the district from community, arts, sports, cultural, heritage, linguistic and other groups who are keen to take part in this year’s Culture Night by organising a local event or activity. This event / activity will celebrate a townland, village, town or community’s culture and might be a performance, demonstration, display of work, mini festival, exhibition, talent competition, open mic night or take many other forms.
This event or activity may be in-person, online or a combination of both.
Fermanagh & Omagh District Council will provide support to a maximum of 16 groups across the district with sponsorship of up to £250 per proposal along with assistance with marketing and publicity.
Essential Criteria for applicants
- Only groups / organisations are eligible to apply
- Groups must be constituted
- Groups must have a bank account signed by 2 or more people
- All applicants must have public liability insurance
Essential Criteria for events / activities
- Must celebrate culture
- Must demonstrate public benefit
- Takes place on Friday 23 September 2022
- Free of charge (for participants & audience)
- Open to everyone
- Publicised through Fermanagh & Omagh District Council’s Culture Night programme
Assessment
The following assessment criteria will be applied to Expressions of Interest:
- Quality of proposed event / activity
- Active participation / engagement including online reach and engagement
- Geographical spread across the district
- Mix of art / cultural forms & delivery types
- Proximity to other activities
- Organisations who have not previously engaged with Culture Night
Evaluation
We require all successful applicants to complete a short evaluation form after their event / activity.
Deadline
The deadline to submit an Expression of Interest for this year’s Culture Night is 5pm on Friday 08 July 2022 @ 5pm.
To take part in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Culture Night 2022 or for further information, please contact the Arts Service by email at culture@fermanaghomagh.com or by phone 0300 303 1777 / Textphone 028 822 56216