Dance company loses 100% annual funding cut appeal

A dance company based in Londonderry has said it has lost its appeal against a decision to have 100% of its annual funding axed.

In May, Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company announced that its funding application for more than £112,000 had been rejected by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI).

In a statement on Friday, a spokesperson for Echo Echo expressed deep disappointment after the appeal was rejected, calling the decision "extremely disappointing, to say the least."

ACNI said it "does not make any decisions with regard to Annual Funding Programme Funding Review Requests".

Previously, ACNI said that after Echo Echo Dance Studio's application to the 2025/26 Annual Funding Programme (AFP) was unsuccessful, the organisation was offered an award of more than £28,000 to assist with its transition out of the AFP portfolio.

Following that decision, ACNI said at the time that it wanted to reassure the dance community in Northern Ireland that public investment in dance in Derry and the north-west region "remains a priority, and we will be working to ensure that provision for dance continues."

In a statement to BBC News NI on Friday, ACNI said Echo Echo Dance Studio's funding review request "was considered by and rejected by an independent reviewer".

"As advised by ACNI, Echo Echo is now free to bring the matter to the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman if they wish."

The Derry dance company said previously the AFP funding would have covered the wages of three staff members as well as some overheads and described the rejection of the funding as "catastrophic" at the time.

The company said it now plans to take its case to the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman, the next step in the formal funding review process.

Echo Echo said that, following what it called a "successful crowdfunding campaign," it has raised enough funding "to postpone its potential closure from this month to the end of September 2025."

It said it continues to work closely with Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) and is currently exploring additional funding streams in hopes of sustaining operations into the next financial year.

The dance theatre company emphasised that the loss of ACNI's annual funding — its core funding source — severely jeopardises its ability to secure other grants and partnerships.

"Without this ongoing principal support and form of assurance for other funders... sourcing replacement ongoing support at the level required is a massive challenge."

"Our small, hardworking group of directors, artists, and staff have been working around the clock trying to keep the company alive."

The ACNI added: "The group was also encouraged to apply to ACNI's Project Funding programme which can award grants of up to £75k and is a scheme from which many former Annual Funding Programme clients receive support.

"The organisation chose not to apply to the Project Funding scheme."