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The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
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Ballymena Festival of Music Speech and Dance

Registered

Charity no. 110566 Date registered. 17/04/2025

Public benefits

Advancement of the Arts in Music Speech and Dance Ballymena Festival of Music, Speech and Dance was set up to advance the arts. The Ballymena festival was established in 1916 and is ongoing and expanding. It provides a forum for music, speech and dance and promotes and encourages high standards. The festival also preserves historical traditions

and includes traditional Irish dancing and a traditional Irish music. The purpose of the festival is to advance the arts by providing a forum for young people to perform in front of an adjudicator and receive positive feedback on their performance. Friendships made at the festival can last long after the festival is over. Younger participants can have an appreciation of what they can achieve. Family, friends and audience members can appreciate the achievements of these young people. There is cross community participation across Northern Ireland. It is a sociable event which helps put a focus on the arts. The positive feedback from adjudicators can help young people improve in their field and gain recognition. There are solo events but there are also duets, trios and groups which encourages working together and supporting each other. Young people can hone their performances and perhaps prepare for future events and provide a platform for some to progress from amateur to professional. The public are welcome to attend the festival events at a minimal cost. Some who attend have participated in the festival themselves and this is now their children or grandchildren who are participating. Every year there is a Gala Evening and this is a showcase for the festival. The Gala Evening is free of charge to the public. The Festival continues to grow and develop and is respected as a valuable organisation. None It is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. No

What your organisation does

Advancement of the Arts in Music Speech and Dance Ballymena Festival of Music, Speech and Dance was set up to advance the arts. The Ballymena festival was established in 1916 and is ongoing and expanding. It provides a forum for music, speech and dance and promotes and encourages high standards. The festival also preserves historical traditions

and includes traditional Irish dancing and a traditional Irish music. The purpose of the festival is to advance the arts by providing a forum for young people to perform in front of an adjudicator and receive positive feedback on their performance. Friendships made at the festival can last long after the festival is over. Younger participants can have an appreciation of what they can achieve. Family, friends and audience members can appreciate the achievements of these young people. There is cross community participation across Northern Ireland. It is a sociable event which helps put a focus on the arts. The positive feedback from adjudicators can help young people improve in their field and gain recognition. There are solo events but there are also duets, trios and groups which encourages working together and supporting each other. Young people can hone their performances and perhaps prepare for future events and provide a platform for some to progress from amateur to professional. The public are welcome to attend the festival events at a minimal cost. Some who attend have participated in the festival themselves and this is now their children or grandchildren who are participating. Every year there is a Gala Evening and this is a showcase for the festival. The Gala Evening is free of charge to the public.

The charity’s classifications

  • The advancement of education
  • The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science

Who the charity helps

  • Children (5-13 year olds)
  • General public

How the charity works

  • Arts

Charitable purposes

1 The Festival is established to advance education, to promote the arts of speech, drama, music and dance in the Ballymena area and its environs (hereinafter called the ''area of benefit") by the provision of facilities in the interests of recreation or other leisure-time occupation of people in the area of benefit who wish to avail of such facilities, in particular: a) To encourage people, especially but not exclusively the young, to become actively involved in such activities. b) To promote and develop the arts for the benefit of the general public in the area of benefit; c) To encourage appreciation of the arts and stimulate the artistic creativity of people in the area of benefit. d) To promote, organise and manage an annual festival of music, speech and dance.

Governing document

Constitution

Other name


List of regions

  • In Northern Ireland
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