Eastside Arts Festival

The emergence of EastSide Arts has been one of the triumphs of arts provision
in recent straitened times. Delivering an excellent programme of arts activities
throughout the year, bringing the arts direct to the communities of east Belfast and
encouraging local artists, writers, musicians and performers to develop and promote
their talent, the annual EastSide Arts Festival has become a popular highlight of the
calendar. The eclectic range of arts events this year – from story-telling to drama to
dance, from song to parks to pastries – reflects a new confidence in the city’s east.
As principal funder, through our Exchequer and National Lottery funds, the Arts
Council is proud to be associated with a programme which so successfully provides
opportunities for people to participate in high-quality arts, in what is a key element
now in the creative, cultural and economic life of the city as a whole.