Equity: Panto Postcards deliver Stormont arts funding message
Festive post boxes have popped up at theatres and venues across Northern Ireland, but instead of toys and sweets, these Christmas lists ask for just one thing: arts funding.
Launched on Saturday 30 November at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, venues across NI are hosting the festive post boxes, with postcards handed out to audiences and messages read at curtain calls. The activity is part of a campaign by Equity - the performing arts and entertainment trade union - to raise awareness of arts cuts and encourage sustainable investment in the arts in next year’s Stormont Budget.
Audiences young and old are encouraged to fill in a festive postcard with a message to the Finance Minister saying why they love shows. Hundreds of cards have already been filled in, with many children drawing a stage scene picture on the front and completing the sentence ‘I love shows because…’. Seren from Belfast wrote, “it makes me feel free”, while James said, “it is an amazing place to make memories” and Sue from Hillsborough wrote “it brings stories to life and feels good.”
The post boxes will be in action until January where the post box will have its final outing at the Grand Opera House, Belfast. The cards will be presented at an event on 3 February 2025 and handed to the Finance Minister before the Stormont Budget.
Equity's official for Northern Ireland and Equity's Chair of their Lagan and East Branch also met with the Minister yesterday, Tuesday 10 December, following a successful all-party event last month.
Alice Adams Lemon, Equity official for Northern Ireland, said: "For many children and families, the Christmas Show is an important event in the calendar to look forward to. And our post boxes are popping up at shows in venues which have received real terms cuts in investment from Arts Council NI, which has had its funding reduced by over 40% in the last ten years. Shows aren't just for Christmas, we need investment in the arts year-round to sustain our artists so that performers, production staff, producers, venues and the communities which benefit from them can look forward to a bright and hopeful New Year."
Chris Robinson, Equity's Lagan and East Branch Chair, said: "We were delighted to be invited to meet with the Finance Minister to put the case for the arts to her face-to-face. As the Communities Minister attended our all-party meeting last month as well, we are hoping that the strength of feeling and support by those who love and need the arts in communities, education, healthcare, business and families, is shared by our elected representatives. Give us a great 2025 and invest back in the arts for all of us!”
Venues
Theatres and shows hosting the boxes include the Lyric, where A Christmas Carol is running; the Waterfront, showing Beauty and the Beast; Sleeping Beauty at St Comgalls; Little Red Riding Hood at the MAC; Magician’s Nephew at the Sanctuary Theatre, The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan at the Grand Opera House; Winter Circus at the Big Top in Writer’s Square; and Elfis Humperdink at An Croí in Derry City, among others.
40% funding cuts
Arts Council Northern Ireland funding has been cut by over 40% in the past 10 years, deeply impacting artists, producers and communities.
Before the most recent 2023 cuts, Arts Council Northern Ireland supported between 85 and 100 arts organisations through its annual funding programme. These organisations included venues, festivals, visual arts, music and community organisations. In 2023/4, 11 were no longer funded and 74 were funded at a standstill, contributing further to a 40% cut in real terms over 10 years.
Equity is calling for arts funding to be increased in the 2025 Stormont Budget to start reversing the damaging cuts wrought over the period of a decade.
Using the campaign postcards, children have completed the sentence ‘I love the theatre because…’. Here are some of the reasons given:
“I love the theatre because…
Charlie: "It is magic"
Seren from Belfast: “It makes me feel free.”
James: “It is an amazing place to make memories.”
Malachi from Enniskillen: “It is great to hear, learn and watch stories performed live.”
Sue from Hillsborough: “It brings stories to life and feels good.”
Taise from Belfast: "I like acting.”