South Belfast DUP MLA Jimmy Spratt has welcomed today’s announcement by Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure Edwin Poots, that £300,000 has been made available over the next three years for the Belfast Festival at Queen’s. Mr Spratt, who facilitated meetings between the Minister and Queen’s Representatives, said:
‘”This is great news for everyone involved in the Belfast Festival at Queen’s and for Belfast as a whole. The benefits of the Festival, both economically and culturally, are vast and this announcement can help to make the Festival bigger and better than ever before.
Over the last few months I have worked closely with Queen’s in convincing the Minister of the benefits of direct government funding for the Festival. It is clear from this announcement that Minister Poots recognises that the Festival is a world class arts event and should be safeguarded in the future.
Yet again we see the benefits of devolution by securing the future of the Belfast Festival at Queen’s.”