Arts Council of Northern Ireland

Traditional Music Action Plan

Oct 2015- 2018

TRADITIONAL MUSIC ACTION PLAN

Timetable: Year 1 = Oct 2015
Recommendation

Actions & Support evidence

Key Partners along

with ACNI

Timescale
Years 1 to 3

TM sector, DCAL,
DENI, Tourism NI

Year 1 &
ongoing

1. Traditional Music Forum

Develop a definition of Traditional Music in NI (p16)

Use Traditional Music Forum as a platform to test the findings of the audit with the
sector and include consultations with other key stakeholders, such as DCAL and
other departments and agencies

2. Education
Ensure that decisions of policy and strategy are informed by expertise on the ground among the vitally important non-statutory sector (p36)
Initiate exploratory discussion with key education stakeholders on developing better resources for TM tuition (p29)
Examine gaps in capacity and skills identified in the audit, including the needs of tuition providers (p29)
Set up a traditional music education group to act as a cross-community advocacy
group for the inclusion of traditional music in formal music education

TM sector, DCAL,
DENI, DEL, Music
services

Year 1
& ongoing

Work in partnership with DE, EA, DEL, Youth Music Services, CCEA, LCM, PDQB and
other stakeholders to build a co-ordinated approach to the development traditional
music provision

As listed

Year 1 -3

Work in partnership with DE, EA, DEL, Youth Music Services, CCEA, LCM, PDQB and
other stakeholders to build a co-ordinated approach to the development of
training and resources for existing and emerging teachers including online teaching
aids and professional development opportunities

As listed

Year 1 -3

In line with ACNIs Intercultural Strategy, actively encourage

traditional music and educational organisations to work with minority ethnic
communities and their musical cultures.

TM Sector,
Community arts &
Cultural partners

Year 1
& ongoing

3. Instruments
Advocate for support for schemes that facilitate access to musical instruments (p42)
Invite instrument makers to participate in the Traditional Music Forum (p42)
Develop a more strategic approach and an updated policy for funding instrument purchase e.g. research needs and trends across the entire sector;
consider a focus on high quality instruments for exceptional professional performers (p42)
Advocate for funding to support the purchase of instruments including the Take It
Away scheme, Musical Instruments for Bands scheme, Small Grants and SIAP,
addressing gaps including high quality instruments for individual artists

TM sector, DCAL,
DE, DEL, Music
services

Year 1 -3

Invite instrument makers to participate in the Traditional Music Forum and assess
interest to set up loan schemes and to participate in Take It Away

Instrument makers

Year 1 &
ongoing

4. Competitions
Acknowledge the role and impact of competition in traditional music in Northern Ireland, as a platform for high artistic standards and as a valid
performance context in its own right (p46)
Design a strategic PR campaign with client organisations to promote major national
and international competition winners

TM Sector, RSPBA
NI, CCE

Year 1 &
ongoing

Promote Young Musicians Platform traditional musicians

BBC

Year 1 &
ongoing

Support the sector to identify and make applications to traditional music award
ceremonies e.g. BBC2 Folk Awards

TM sector

Year 1 &
ongoing

5. Performance Infrastructure
Establish the extent of any unmet demand for traditional music performance in Northern Ireland and identify any barriers to
responding to this demand (p50)
Support and promote the performance of traditional song (p50)
3

Consult with organisations, venues, local authorities, Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland and
Audiences NI and develop an action plan to raise the profile of sessions and events

As listed

Year 1 -3

Work with the traditional music sector to help facilitate cross-border contact and
touring e.g. Dissemination of Work scheme

TM Sector, UK and
Ireland cultural
partners

Year 1 &
ongoing

Support the traditional sector to explore the NI Music Touring scheme which
prioritises World music (incl. traditional music)

TM
Sector, ANI

Year 1

Work with Generator NI, Tourism Ireland, Culture Ireland, British Council, UK and
Ireland Arts Councils and other cultural agencies to identify national and
international performance opportunities
Establish the demand for small ensemble performances within the band sector

As listed

Year 1 &
ongoing

TM
sector

Year 1 -3

Support the development and promotion of song based initiatives, performances,

singing circles, recordings and archive projects.

TM
Sector

Year 1 -3

6. Professional Development
Work with others including A&B, NICVA and Voluntary Arts Ireland to identify developmental resources and opportunities for artists
and organisations working in Traditional Music (p51)
Identify mentoring, training and talent development opportunities for individual
artists with Generator NI, Invest NI, MU, IMRO, PRS etc

TM Sector

Year 1 &
ongoing

Support commissioning initiatives available to composers and producers e.g. Beyond

Borders, New Music Plus, Small Grants programme and explore further
development opportunities

TM
Sector, PRS, other
Arts Councils

Year 1 &
ongoing

Identify mentoring and support initiatives for organisations to develop their

promotion, touring, cross artform collaboration, national and international
networking
Establish the training needs of administrators among funded organisations and
identify professional development opportunities

TM
Sector, Audiences
NI, Invest NI, PRS

Year 1 &
ongoing

TM Sector, A&B,
NICVA, VAI

Year 1-3

Promote opportunities for sector to develop internships and apprenticeships

TM Sector, Creative
and Cultural Skills

Year 1-3

7. Partnerships and Collaborations

Encourage collaboration and cooperation on a project basis within the sector and the wider arts sector (p53)
Facilitate regular communication between the Traditional Music Forums in Northern
Ireland, Scotland (TRAC) and Wales (TRAC)
Support the sector to explore partnerships and collaborations which could harness
positive benefits such as artistic partnerships, networking and international
opportunities
Support the sector to explore partnerships and collaborations which could harness
positive benefits, including additional revenue, shared resources i.e. expertise,
personnel, facilities and space

As listed

Year 1 &
ongoing

TM Sector

Year 1 &
ongoing

TM Sector

Year 1 &
ongoing

Work with UK and Ireland Arts Councils to build a collective approach to the
development of world music from these Islands; raising the cultural and creative
profile of Northern Ireland and strengthen connections with overseas artists.

TM Sector, Horizons
partners

Year 1
& ongoing

8. Investment
Take a lead role in setting, with others, an agenda for research, development and capacity building focused on the traditional arts (p56)
Take a lead role in initiating a baseline study of the audience in Northern Ireland for Traditional Music (p56)
Work with Tourism NI to develop and implement plans that exploit opportunities to reposition Traditional Music more effectively in Northern
Irelands tourism offering to visitors, particularly where experiential tourism is concerned (p56)
Advocate on behalf of the sector for further investment in traditional music;
inform policy and work in partnership with other cultural organisations to
increase understanding of traditional musics significant contribution to society
and the economy

TM Sector,
USA, DCAL
and other
depts

Year 1 &
ongoing

Identify potential services to support small voluntary organisations within TM

sector (incl. governance, safeguarding, fundraising etc)

TM sector

Year 1 -3

Promote opportunities available through Audiences NI to enhance audience

data capture and evaluation among the TM sector

TM sector,
ANI

Year 1 -3

Develop partnerships between sector, Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland to

respond to unmet demand for experiential tourism within TM

As listed

Year 1 &
ongoing

Work in partnership with national and international cultural agencies to support

initiatives which help achieve international recognition
for Northern Ireland's distinctive traditional music as World Music.

TM
Sector,
cultural
agencies

Year 1 &
ongoing

Identify and compile a list of traditional music media for use by the sector

TM sector

Year 1 &
ongoing

Create strategic media campaign to promote the strengths of established

performance infrastructure i.e. festivals, competitive events and the availability
of good quality informal music making
Establish level of PR and marketing activity (including social media) among
funded organisations and identify training needs

TM sector

Year 1 &
ongoing

TM sector,
Audiences NI

Year 1 &
ongoing

Work with broadcast media (BBC, TG4, RTE etc) to identify new opportunities to
promote traditional music to new audiences

TM sector,
broadcast
media

Year 1 &
ongoing

Use in-house video equipment to enable funded organisations to create digital

content which can be showcased online

TM sector

Year 1 &
ongoing

9. Media
Design and implement a media campaign to increase awareness and visibility of Traditional Music (p60)

10. Recording/ online release

Review the suitability and effectiveness of the current rules that govern existing funding for recordings by Traditional Musicians and compare with
support systems that are used elsewhere (p62)
Examine the effectiveness and impact of current policy on supporting recordings
through Support for Individual Artist Programme

ACNI, TM
sector

Year 1