ArtAbyss Ltd, Limavady

Beginning as a project within Stendhal Festival in 2018, ArtAbyss Children’s Festival has grown and was constituted in its own right (incorporated as ArtAbyss Ltd in 2020) to better fulfil its charitable aims.  But both organisations operate separately to one another with a different vision, mission and aims – “to bring together an event that will introduce children in the North West to facets of the arts which can inspire, educate and delight, which previously may have been difficult to gain access to due to location”.  ArtAbyss sought financial assistance towards costs associated with running this year’s Children’s Festival over 15^th-17 June.  The charity expects to host over 1,200 children and intends to ensure equal opportunities to access for young people from all backgrounds – addressing issues such as mental wellbeing; building confidence; and improving critical thinking (all of which have been difficult throughout the Covid-19 pandemic).  The LAC felt this was a great opportunity to bring young people together after the pandemic and, learning that ticket prices do not cover running costs, awarded a grant of £1,000 obo The Drapers’ Company.