§ Mr. DoddsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what(a) programmes and (b) projects have been supported by the Cultural Diversity Branch in each year since it was set up. [123801]
§ Angela SmithThe Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in pursuing its vision of "a confident, creative, informed and prosperous society" is committed both to promoting a greater respect and understanding of the richness of our cultural and linguistic diversity and to celebrating this diversity. In progressing this objective the Department supported Diversity 21 as a means of examining cultural diversity with a view to promoting deeper understanding and to represent this diversity as a sign of strength in our society. Diversity 21 provided the means of promoting cultural diversity work already happening; identifying and delivery of new projects aimed at stimulating the imagination and exploring diversity in an open, creative and accessible way; and providing a cultural diversity grant funding scheme. Since April 2001 the Department has supported a schedule of exhibitions on language, faith and history in Northern Ireland and the wider Commonwealth, to a number of organisations and community groups throughout the Province; a programme of workshops on the different drums of Northern Ireland; and Intercom 21—a contemporary music project which used music as a means of exploring diversity. In addition the Department under the Diversity 21 funding programme supported a range of community based projects. These included: 947W
Cultural Diversity Grants 2002–03 £ Group Project Total Funding The Cathedral Quarter Arts Cathedral Quarter Arts festival 4,500 The Nerve Centre Diversity in the digital age 9,000 Apprentice Boys Maiden City festival 2002 50,000 Football in the Community Football course with underachievers 4,300 Tinderbox Caught red handed 37,702 Young at Art Musical garden and festival 20,020 Ballynafeigh Community Development Association Peace boat project 6,107