Waterford City and County Council has welcomed the announcement of funding for an ambitious new cross-border creative programme that will see the county once again partner with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to deliver a series of arts-based initiatives within local communities.
Building on the success of the previous ‘Building Shared Creative Communities’ initiative, the newly funded ‘Creative Communities, Connected Futures’ project will connect communities in Waterford with partners in Mid and East Antrim through a shared programme of arts, culture and creative placemaking.
Supported by the Creative Ireland Shared Island Fund, the €150,000 programme will see artists, community groups and local residents collaborate across the island to reimagine underused spaces and strengthen connections between places and people.
Katherine Collins, Creative Ireland Coordinator for Waterford, 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 seek to empower our communities to shape their own futures through creativity and strengthen connections with partners in Mid and East Antrim. It represents a significant opportunity to unlock the potential of our town centres and support our vibrant local creative sector.”
At the heart of the programme is a strong local focus on rural towns and villages, where creative activity will help unlock the potential of spaces such as parks and vacant building as vibrant cultural and creative hubs for their communities.
The project will take a community-led approach, using creative placemaking to support residents in shaping how their towns develop. This includes working closely with local town teams, artists, and organisations to explore new uses for vacant or underused spaces and to increase access to arts and cultural participation.
A key aspect of the programme will be creative micro-residencies, where artists from different disciplines will be embedded in local areas, collaborating directly with communities to develop new work inspired by local stories and identity. These residencies will not only activate public spaces but also support local talent and test innovative approaches to long-term cultural investment in the county.
This cross-border partnership builds on an already strong relationship between the two councils and reflects a continued commitment to fostering connection, understanding, and collaboration through creativity.
Welcoming the funding award, Mayor of Waterford City and County Cllr. Liam Brazil, said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for Waterford people to experience a variety of theatre projects developed with professional mentors, creative writing and illustration programmes delivered through local libraries, traditional music collaborations, and heritage and storytelling trails. These activities will create new cultural experiences, build skills, confidence, and connections within the community and across borders.”
Overall, the Shared Island programme will include a €3.7 million investment over three years for creative, community-based projects across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland under the Creative Ireland Programme. 28 projects will be supported, including 16 cross-border collaborations focused on exploring shared cultural experiences.
The Creative Communities, Connected Futures project will commence in autumn 2026 and run until autumn 2028.
