Feile 2022: Tourism NI indicates it could pull funding for West Belfast Festival unless organisers live up to ‘responsibility to promote good relations’

Tourism Northern Ireland said it was “investigating” the events of the weekend amid a cacophany of calls for public bodies to rethink their support for the annual event.

It follows fresh upset relating to the closing weekend of the 2022 festival (also known as Feile an Phobail).

On Friday a west Belfast rap trio called Kneecap took to the stage in the publicly-run Falls Park.

Shortly beforehand the group (whose DJ, using the stage name ‘Provai’, commonly wears a tricolour balaclava) had unveiled a mural depicting a burning police vehicle with a roar of “get yer Brits out!”

The band’s lyrics are peppered with republican slogans and they refer to the PSNI as “the RUC”.

In addition, video footage of rebel band the Wolfe Tones showed them clad in shirts honouring the hunger strikers and leading the huge Falls Park audience (a large proportion of whom were clearly in their teens and early 20s) in a chant of “ooh, ahh, up the Ra” during the song ‘Celtic Symphony’ – just as the group has done before.

Other footage shared on social media at the weekend depicted revellers chanting “up the Ra” acapella, and others wearing bandanas with that slogan emblazoned on them.

Meanwhile, one of Larne FC’s players, John Herron, has been suspended from the club after a picture was posted online of him clad in a Celtic-style top bearing the words “tiochfaidh ar la” in the shape of an Armalite rifle, also reportedly taken at the Feile.

‘IMMORAL TO USE PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THIS’:

Prior to the weekend’s events, the DUP had said “the glorification of terrorism and the elevation of those who engaged wilfully in acts of sectarian violence should have no place in the celebration or expression of local arts and heritage, in any community”.

The party added that “it would be wrong and immoral for public funds to be used to support and facilitate such behaviour, whether directly or indirectly”.

And yesterday the UUP said “this behaviour [is] being replicated year after year” and that it “should not be facilitated within a council-owned park”.

The TUV, meanwhile, said yesterday that “funding needs to be pulled from this hatefest” and that “all those who add a veneer of respectability to the festival by taking part” need to rethink their involvement.

WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM:

The West Belfast Festival operates both as a not-for-profit company, and as a charity.

Its most recent charitable accounts show its banking is handled by the Bank of Ireland.

They show total funds for the year ending March 31, 2020, of just over £1.7m.

The vast majority of that comes from “donations and legacies” (roughly £1.1m) whilst tickets (£225,000) and “other trading” (£426,000) make up almost all the rest.

The festival’s website mentions three “principle funders” (sic) – Belfast City Council, the Arts Council (backed up by the National Lottery), and Tourism Northern Ireland.

According to the most recent set of accounts, the income listed from these sources was as follows:

The city council, £542,000; Arts Council, £117,000; Tourism NI, £75,000.

‘FUNDING DEPENDS ON GOOD RELATIONS’:

The News Letter yesterday approached all three to ask if they will continue with their funding in the wake of the weekend’s events.

Tourism NI was the only one which indicated that it might withhold funding.

It said: “Tourism NI is aware of social media coverage of events that took place as part of Feile an Phobail over the weekend and will be investigating this matter.

“Tourism NI’s events funding offers are made on the basis of due regard for good relations.

“Our funding agreement clearly stipulates the responsibility of the event organiser to promote good relations and uphold Tourism NI’s reputation as a public body, and a failure to do so may result in Tourism NI withdrawing all or part of our funding.”

Belfast City Council said: “Feile an Phobail received funding via council’s Cultural Multi-Annual Grants scheme for four years (2020-2024) to support a programme of 250+ inclusive arts and cultural activities over a number of days each year.

“While council supports the festival on this basis, our funding does not support commercial events such as the event by Kneecap.”

It was pointed out that this did not address the question of whether the council will continue funding or not, and also that any support given by the council frees up resources for organisers to spend on other kinds of events.

“We have nothing further to add to this statement,” the council replied.

Meanwhile, the Arts Council said: “[We have] awarded funding to Féile an Phobail of £116,599 through the 2022/23 Annual Funding Programme. This award makes a contribution to the organisation’s core costs only, not programming.”

ORGANISERS DEFEND FEILE:

The organisers of the festival say the Feile aims to foster “civic values” and to “provide information and learning on topical current, national, and international affairs, as well as focusing on various historic events that occurred within our own community”.

They described the 2022 event as “the best Feile ever” with “100,000 people in attendance” across some 350 events – dubbing it “a fantastic showcase of community and culture”.

Sinn Fein MLA Caral Ni Chuilin last night said the festival is “getting bigger and better each year ... no unwanted bonfires, inclusion, positivity, celebration, discussions, exhibitions – all appreciated by [those in] attendance”.

And festival director Kevin Gamble said representatives from all communities were welcomed to various events, and that no major internment bonfires took place in Belfast due to a dance music night put on by Feile to divert young people.

“The benefit of the absence of these unwanted bonfires on August 8 is significant, as well as the positive images emanating from the festival events showcasing Belfast in a positive light,” he said.

“There is also the considerable benefit to the city’s economy which the associated increase in visitor footfall and spending brings due to Feile.”