CAF
is a membership organisation that spans all art forms and
all areas and aims to provide greater access to the arts to
all people in Northern Ireland.
The CAF mission statement is:
To promote community arts as a tool to develop the innate creativity of individuals and their communities.
We operate an open door policy and provide a warm, friendly welcome and a wealth of knowledge, resources and expert advice. Feel free to contact us at any time.
About CAF's work
If you want to bring the arts to your community, establish a festival or local arts group or you just want the chance to take part in arts activity of any sort, then CAF can help.
CAF information service
Help finding funding for your organisation
Keeping up to date on the arts
Support and development
CAF training programmes
Campaigning
Networking
Information service-
CAF offers information and advice on all aspects of community arts project planning. We have a comprehensive database of artists, arts organisations and venues – allowing us to identify resources that best meet the needs of your project or group.
Finding funding for your project -
We can identify potential funders for your projects, provide advice on putting together your application and suggest alternative ways of raising money. The funding section of this site includes an online searchable database of funding opportunities and information on preparing funding applications
Keeping up to date on the arts -
CAF has the latest community arts news, event listings and job opportunities available through this website. You can keep up to date with what is happening in the world of community arts by subscribing to CAF’s free email bulletin, the Wee CAD. You can also use CAF’s website or magazine, the Wee Can, to bring your news or events to the attention of the whole community arts sector. CAF also has Northern Ireland’s only library dedicated to community arts and community development.
Sign up for CAF's weekly e-bulletin
Support and development -
We offer a range of services and resources to help the development of organisations, groups and the community arts sector.
Training programmes -
CAF delivers a variety of training programmes to give artists the skills they need to work in the community. These training opportunities range from child protection training to CAF’s Artist to Entrepreneur programme, which equips artists with the business skills they need to succeed.
CAF also supports fledging community arts projects and organisations and has been pivotal in the creation numerous succesful community arts initiatives.
Back to the top
Seminars and conferences -
CAF also organises seminars and conferences to highlight the issues affecting the sector. Having organised conferences on arts for older people, community dance good practice and access for people with a disability, CAF is currently in the planning stages of a year long conference on international community arts.
Campaigning -
CAF has always campaigned for increased funding for and recognition of the work of the community arts sector. CAF has been at the forefront of campaigns to increase arts spending in Northern Ireland to the levels found in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. The efforts of CAF and the community arts sector have succeeded in placing community arts at the centre of current arts policy – something that was unthinkable ten years ago, and successfully lobbied for an increased arts budget for 2008-2011. However, much still has to be done.
Networking -
In a sector as diverse and dispersed as community arts, CAF plays a vital role allowing organisations to share information, resources and good practice.
Back to the top |
