C102 Article

Round and round

The Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast; photo (uninverted) Séamus Loughran; courtesy Crescent Arts Centre

The Crescent Arts Centre is a diverse Community Arts Centre with over twenty years experience. It provides an opportunity for arts organisations and arts practitioners to have a permanent base in an appropriate artistic environment. It concentrates on the introduction, encouragement and learning of all areas of the arts for all ages and sections of the community. This is done through participation in classes, workshops, activities, exhibitions, events and festivals.

The Crescent is housed in a listed Victorian building which was built in 1873 for Victoria College. There is approximately 30,000 square feet of space spread throughout four floors. At present, just under 50% of this space is usable, due to the condition of the building.

The Crescent Arts Centre's drive for refurbishment and the development of its artistic activities has been ongoing since 1991.

With the advent of the Arts Council Lottery Fund, an application was instigated to that fund for capital funding, together with other capital-partnership-funding applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Buildings, the then Making Belfast Work, now Belfast Regeneration Office, etc.

Then came the moratorium on the ACNI Lottery funds and the Crescent's application was put'on hold.

ýrior to, during and following this time the Centre's aims were frustrated by a series of economic appraisals, commissioned (by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland/Belfast City Council jointly and individually) to look at and make recommendations on the arts provision/infrastructure.

In this protracted waiting period, and in anticipation of the re-opening of the Lottery Fund, the Crescent forged ahead, preparing the groundwork for an updated application.

This was submitted, in August 2001, to ACNI, supported by a robust, rigorous and comprehensive feasibility study, part-funded by ACNI and an equally robust, etc., business plan, funded by DCAL. The other updated capital partnership applications were submitted in tandem.

ACNI rejected this application in January 2002. In subsequent meetings between ACNI and the Crescent, it was explained that within the overall amount of Lottery funds available and the demands on these funds, ACNI could not meet the requested amount. However, ACNI did indicate that it would be very willing to continue discussions to see how the project could be progressed.

The Board and staff of the Crescent are committed to refurbishment and development - to open up the entire building and make it accessible to all including its current 60,000+ patrons.

At this time, in creative language, the quest for capital funding could be described as 'work in progress' - constructive and positive discussions are ongoing.

The Crescent is determined and confident that the people of South Belfast and all the surrounding communities, which include some of the (identified) most deprived areas in Belfast, will have access to their entitlement - a participatory arts centre where they can realise their creative aspirations.

Liz Donnan is Manager of the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast.