The purpose of the Rural Engagement Arts Programme (REAP) is to provide an integrated, cohesive approach to the needs of local rural communities while recognising some specific issues they face.
The primary theme of REAP is combatting isolation and loneliness, promoting social inclusion and to improve equality of access and opportunity to arts provision across all Section 75 groups, encouraging greater participation in the arts within all communities.
There are a number of ways to differentiate between loneliness and social isolation:
- Loneliness can affect any age group; it is the subjective, unpleasant and distressing phenomenon stemming from a difference between an individual’s desired and achieved level of social relationships.
- Social isolation is a forced isolation from normal social networks caused by loss of mobility or deteriorating health.
Rural communities have smaller and more dispersed populations, where isolation can be more acute than in towns and urban areas resulting in a negative impact on mental health and well-being. An acute example of this was the COVID pandemic 2020.
To apply
Read more details of the programme, and how to apply at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland website below.
National Lottery Rural Engagement Arts Programme
Application Deadline: Thursday 24th September, 2026, 12:00PM
