We are delighted to announce that the Arts Backpack will be piloting in Belfast from January - June 2022, in partnership with Young at Art. 

The scheme is modelled on similar programmes in Norway and Germany, and aims to offer primary-age children access to five quality cultural experiences a year. Following a successful pilot in Fife, Scotland, the Arts Backpack will now be delivered in five Belfast primary schools. Experiences on offer to children and their teachers will include trips to Belfast Children’s Festival and the Mac. The aim of the project is to open pupils’ eyes to the amazing array of arts and culture that is available on their doorstep.

Speaking about the Arts Backpack, ACA patron and acclaimed actress Jenny Agutter (Call the Midwife and The Railway Children) said: "The arts may reflect our society, or stir the imagination but unless we can relate to them on a fundamental level they will not become a part of our lives. The Arts Backpack might be the needed bridge."

This project is supported by Arts Council Northern Ireland and the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers. It is part of a nationwide scheme of pilots, the findings of which will be shared with an international audience at Belfast Children’s Festival in 2023.