Our Artist Ambassador Programme was launched this month as part of a year long series of events to celebrate 25 years of funding by the Arts Council of NI. Thirteen lucky artists have been invited to join the programme.  These community artists have been working on Creative Paths for years making them the perfect ambassadors of Play Resource to help us spread the word to the wider community about all the creative resources and services we offer to children to young people. This forum of artists will meet regularly to help us develop our artistic resources, as well as raise the profile of their own work.

“The Artist Ambassador Programme is a wonderful opportunity for us to acknowledge the dedication and expertise of the community artists that we employ on the Creative Paths Arts Programme.  It is undoubtedly their unwavering creative energy that makes the arts projects as vibrant and exciting as they are!”  said Bridget Lindsay, Arts Manager at Play Resource.

Ballymena artist Amy Willans said “I felt really honoured to be asked to join the programme! It reminded me how valuable my creative input is in providing artistic experiences to children and young people.  It would be almost impossible for me to deliver the community arts projects that I do on such limited budgets without the support of Play Resource.”

Artist Laureen McGill, based in the Ards Penninsula, but travels all over the region for her work said “I was delighted to join the programme! I felt it was recognition of all the hard work we do, but in reality I could not do my job without the Play Resource so really this just strengthens our partnership that has been growing over the years”.

Gavin O’Connor, Youth Arts Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:
“Over the past 25 years Play Resource has grown from a small creative resource to a successful artistic enterprise which delivers thousands of projects to children and young people every year.

“The Artist Ambassador programme is one of the many excellent initiatives that the organisation delivers, providing young people with a basis for learning, enhancing their creativity and offering new experiences by working with a professional artist.”