NORTHERN IRELAND MENTAL HEALTH ARTS FESTIVAL
NEW WORKS COMMISSION
The Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival is excited to announce the six recipients of our New Works Commission for 2026. This initiative addresses the barriers faced by artists who have lived experience of mental health challenges by awarding £2000 to invest in their own practice and wellbeing. It is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
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Patricia Lavery, Head of Community Arts and Education, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is delighted to support the New Works Commission, thanks to the National Lottery players. This important programme supports artists with a lived experience of mental health challenges by providing the financial means required to take the next step in their artistic careers. The initiative reflects the Arts Council’s commitment to supporting a sector that develops, looks after its people, and is more inclusive, so that more people from all backgrounds can enjoy arts experiences. Congratulations to the selected artists; we are excited to see their projects develop in the year ahead.”
The selected artists were chosen in response to our open call across Northern Ireland. We were overwhelmed by the extensive number of artists across art forms who applied for this award. The artists will have the opportunity to invest in their own practice, create new work, and participate in monthly artist’s forums supporting peer-learning and knowledge exchange. There will be a celebration event to showcase the work produced in May 2026.
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This project demonstrates the Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival’s regional
commitment to challenging stigma associated with mental health, supporting the pivotal role of the arts and artists, and opening up forums for compassionate dialogue informed by those with lived experience, and those drawn from arts, culture, education, and health, advocating for change in government policy.
SELECTED ARTISTS:
Keith McAlister, County Antrim
‘I am extremely grateful to be a recipient of the NIMHAF New Works Commission and excited to see all the new work this project produces. The commission will allow me to give life to a two-word title I wrote down in a scrapbook many years ago: Derangement
Machinery.’
Rozzi Kennedy, County Armagh
‘Postpartum a mother’s career can stall, but because of this [NIMHAF] commission I can move forward with new work considering childbirth as a rite of passage—just a few months after my second child was born. This is timely, while my memory and feelings of transformation and liminality remain fresh and urgent.’
Maeve McGreevy, County Down
‘This commission has enabled me to, for the first time, acknowledge a mental health difficulty with clarity and address it with positivity rather than hide it through secrecy out of shame. I am creating work alongside a wonderful team in which I feel open and honest, and such circumstances could only have come about through the NIMHAF initiative.’
Justine Scoltock, County Derry/Londonderry
‘This commission will give me the space and time to really develop my work. It’s a reminder that art—especially work connected to mental health—deserves time, trust, and proper support, and I’m very grateful to NIMHAF for this opportunity.’
Gráinne Farrell and New Crush, County Fermanagh
‘‘I’m so excited to receive this bursary, it has already inspired a new song and the ideas are coming fast for a new video! Thank you so much to NIMHAF for giving the band the space to create something meaningful without financial constraints.’
Cat Brogan, County Tyrone
‘The [NIMHAF] commission gives me the time and support to develop Ms Broken—a piece rooted in lived experience, exploring neurodivergence, voice, healing, caring and community. It’s a meaningful step in growing my performance practice into deeper, more sustained work.’