Communities across Belfast are set to benefit from over 30 local creative projects this summer and into the autumn, thanks to £60,000 in grants from Belfast City Council's Bank of Ideas.

Now in its second year, this participatory budgeting programme has allocated funding to 34 schemes across all parts of the city.

The grant recipients were chosen through a public vote held at City Hall on Sunday, 29 June, where over 1,000 votes were cast on more than 100 creative ideas.

Successful concepts include a rock school for girls in Belfast city centre, a streetwear project for young people in west Belfast, a Viva Mexico celebration in south Belfast, 'People's Pages' writing and reading workshops in north Belfast, and a community meal in east Belfast aimed at fostering neighbourly connections. Residents can participate in these projects as they are rolled out between August and November this year.

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly, congratulated the successful projects: "This is a really fun way to get people thinking of what it means to be creative and the many benefits creativity can bring to all of us – whether it's meeting new people, learning new skills, spending time outdoors or just doing something totally different in your free time."

Councillor Kelly highlighted the diverse origins of the ideas, noting contributions from individuals, existing groups, and newly formed collectives united by shared passions. "All the projects receiving funding are totally unique and are definitely worth checking out when they start to pop up in communities next month," she added.

The Bank of Ideas was first launched last year as part of the council's Belfast 2024 celebration of culture and creativity. The programme has since received national and international recognition, winning the Engaging Community Award at the NI Local Government Awards 2025 and being recognised by the United Cities Local Governments international jury for best practice of the UN Agenda 21 for Culture.

Among the projects receiving funding this year is the social enterprise Happy Days, which plans to deliver an 'all-ability Olympics' for young adults with learning disabilities from the Ashton Centre in north Belfast next month. Susie Vint, manager of the Happy Days project, expressed her excitement: "Thanks to the funding from the Bank of Ideas, we're delighted to take it to the next level this year – so it will be bigger, better and even more exciting."