9 October 2025
The SDLP has launched a new arts policy paper entitled Cultural Capital: The SDLP's Plan to Revitalise the Arts, setting out a vision to restore investment, leadership and ambition across the region's creative and cultural sectors.
The paper, launched at an event in Belfast this week attended by artists, cultural organisations, and representatives from across the creative industries, outlines a series of measures designed to treat the arts as a strategic asset that contributes to economic growth, wellbeing, education and community life.
Among the proposals are the creation of a Strategic Arts Fund managed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and supported by multiple government departments, the introduction of a one per cent tourism levy to be reinvested directly into the arts and creative industries, and the appointment of an independent Arts Champion to advocate for the sector and coordinate delivery across government.
SDLP Arts Spokesperson Councillor Doire Finn said:
"The North is rich in cultural capital - our artists, writers, musicians and creative communities are world class. Yet for far too long, they've been undervalued and underfunded.
"The SDLP's Cultural Capital plan sets out a new direction. It is about putting creativity at the centre of our society and our economy, embedding the arts across government policy, and creating sustainable investment that allows talent to thrive here.
"In our party, we are clear that the arts are not a luxury. They are vital to our health and wellbeing, to education, to regeneration and to tourism. They are a foundation of a confident and forward-looking society, and it is time they were treated as such.
"That's why it's so disappointing to see the damage caused by recent cuts imposed by the Executive and the Communities Minister Gordon Lyons. These short-sighted decisions have put enormous pressure on artists, venues and community organisations that are already struggling to survive.
"The SDLP is proud to stand with artists, performers and cultural workers to make sure those stories continue to be told, and to ensure that creativity is recognised and valued as the powerful force for good that it is."
The full Cultural Capital paper can be accessed by clicking here.