Mid & East Antrim secures £128,000 for arts project aimed at transforming town spaces and strengthening cross-border ties

A group of musicians who took part in the previous Soundfest in Ballymena, as part of the Shared Island initiative between Waterford City & County Council and Mid & East Antrim Borough Council.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has secured around £128,000 in funding for a major new cross-border arts and culture programme that will focus on breathing new life into underused spaces in Larne and Carrickfergus while creating new opportunities for residents to take part in creative projects.

The two-year initiative, titled Creative Communities, Connected Futures, will see Mid and East Antrim once again partner with Waterford City and County Council in an ambitious programme designed to connect communities through arts, heritage, storytelling and creative placemaking.

The funding award forms part of a wider €3.7 million Shared Island investment supporting community-based cultural projects across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over the next three years.

For Mid and East Antrim, the investment brings not only funding for local creative activity but also a renewed focus on town centre regeneration, cultural participation and community-led development.

Focus on Larne and Carrickfergus

At the heart of the programme is a strong local emphasis on Larne and Carrickfergus, where creative projects will explore how vacant and underused spaces can play a bigger role in community life.

Among the locations expected to benefit are Larne Market Yard and Carrickfergus Civic Centre, both of which are being viewed as potential future cultural and creative hubs for their communities.

The initiative will work alongside local town teams, artists and community organisations to help residents shape the future direction of their towns while increasing access to arts and cultural experiences.

Council leaders believe the approach could help unlock new opportunities for regeneration by encouraging communities to reimagine how existing spaces are used and experienced.

Creative projects planned across the borough

Residents can expect a wide range of opportunities to become involved once the programme begins in autumn 2026.

Planned activities include theatre productions and storytelling projects developed with the support of professional mentors, alongside creative writing and illustration programmes delivered through local libraries.

Traditional music collaborations, heritage projects and storytelling trails are also expected to feature as part of the programme.

The activities are intended not only to create new cultural experiences but also to help participants build confidence, develop new skills and strengthen local connections.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Alderman Tom Gordon, said residents would have numerous opportunities to engage with the initiative over the next two years.

He said:

“Residents in Mid and East Antrim can expect a wide range of opportunities to get involved, including through theatre and storytelling projects developed with professional mentors.

“There will also be creative writing and illustration programmes delivered through local libraries, traditional music collaborations, and heritage and storytelling trails.

“These activities will create new cultural experiences while building skills, confidence, and connections within the community.”

Artists to work directly with local communities

One of the key elements of the programme will be the introduction of creative micro-residencies in Larne and Carrickfergus.

Artists from a range of disciplines will be embedded within local communities, working alongside residents to develop new creative projects inspired by local stories, history and identity.

The aim is to test new approaches to long-term cultural investment while ensuring communities play an active role in shaping the work produced.

Organisers believe the model will allow creative projects to emerge directly from local experiences rather than being imposed from outside.

Building on existing cross-border partnerships

The programme builds on the success of the previous Building Shared Creative Communities initiative, which established strong working relationships between Mid and East Antrim and communities in County Waterford.

Under the new programme, communities in Mid and East Antrim will strengthen links with Portlaw and Dunmore East through exchange visits, workshops and collaborative projects.

Participants will explore shared themes including heritage, regeneration and community identity while learning from each other’s experiences of town centre renewal and cultural development.

The partnership is intended to strengthen understanding and cooperation across communities while demonstrating the role creativity can play in supporting local places.

Katherine Collins, Creative Ireland Coordinator for Waterford, said the programme represented an important opportunity for communities on both sides of the border.

She said:

“We are delighted to be part of Creative Communities, Connected Futures, a project that will continue to deepen our already strong and successful relationship with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

“This is an exciting all-island cultural collaboration, and our programme will look to empower our communities to shape their own futures through creativity, while strengthening connections with partners in Mid and East Antrim.

“It is a significant opportunity to unlock the potential of our town centres and support our vibrant local creative sector.”

Part of wider Shared Island investment

The funding for Mid and East Antrim forms part of a wider €3.7 million Creative Ireland Shared Island programme supporting 28 projects across the island, including 16 cross-border collaborations exploring shared cultural experiences.

The Creative Communities, Connected Futures programme is scheduled to begin in autumn 2026 and will run for two years.

For communities in Larne and Carrickfergus in particular, the project represents an opportunity not only to celebrate local identity and heritage but also to play an active role in shaping the future cultural life of their towns.