On February 8th 2024, the UK government blocked a British Phonographic Industry (BIP) funding award that would help Belfast rap trio Kneecap to expand their music in global markets. Their application was approved and signed off by an independent selection board, but he UK government overruled this decision. A spokesperson for Kemi Badenoch cited that the UK government "didn't want to hand out UK tax money to people that oppose the United Kingdom itself." The British government blocking arts funding for a group because they aren't pro-union goes against the very essence of the Good Friday Agreement, artistic freedom and free speech. No government should be removing funding due to an artist’s position on constitutional the future of the north.

Havelock House is one of Northern Ireland’s best-known cultural landmarks. It is also one of our most threatened buildings – developers Olympian Homes plan to tear it down to make for an eight-storey apartment block. Time is running out: Belfast City Council will decide on Olympian’s planning application in September. Its decision may end the remarkable story of the Victorian linen factory which became a television icon. As the home of Ulster Television (UTV) for almost sixty years, Havelock House had an integral role in the birth of Northern Ireland’s television industry. It was the place where iconic local series such as Teatime with Tommy, Romper Room and Good Evening Ulster were made. The building is also nationally important: it is the last surviving small station from the pioneering days of UK television. Features such as the original UTV studio are our last built record of the birth of regional television on these islands. TV history was made there. UTV was the first small regional ITV station and Havelock House pioneered a new low-cost TV production model. Its success allowed other less populous parts of the UK to have their own local stations. It was also the site of the first adult education shows on UK television, a pioneering ‘rooftop’ studio and the first satellite link-up between a UK regional station and the US. There’s more to Havelock House than television though – the building has been a familiar presence on Belfast’s Ormeau Road since 1871. After its stint as a linen factory, it became the headquarters of the All-British Trading Stamp Company, an early loyalty scheme where customers received stamps with their shopping which could be trade in for free items. The building then saw service during World War II as accommodation for soldiers who were protecting the city’s bridges from German attack. After the war, it became an engineering works and a dressmakers. Its exterior also hides a secret – beneath the plaster render applied by UTV in 1959, there is attractive polychromic brickwork and stone cut dressings similar to buildings such as the Riddell warehouse, which unlike Havelock House, have listed status. Havelock House is a versatile and historic building which stands ready for a new chapter in its remarkable story. It should the showpiece of any redevelopment of the area rather than torn down for yet another faceless apartment block. As guardians of our city’s heritage, Belfast City Council must reject any proposal for the building’s demolition and put in place an appropriate strategy for its protection.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill has promised that the redevelopment of Casement Park “will be built on my watch”. But time is running out to get it built in time for Euro 2028. Work needs to start as soon as possible in order to meet the deadlines set by UEFA, the European governing body for football. The Irish government, GAA and NI Executive have recommitted their funding for the rebuild - but the UK government has failed to do so.  Imagine in four years time, coverage of Euro 2028 beamed into homes across the world from all over these islands - but the North misses out. We, the undersigned, call on the incoming UK government to commit to funding Casement Park as soon as possible before its too late. 

BBC and RTÉ are member sof the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs Eurovision. Even though the bosses of the BBC and RTÉ, Tim Davie and Kevin Bakhurst, have the power to put pressure on the EBU to expel Israel, neither have taken any action. Unlike the BBC and RTÉ, we will not let Israel artwash genocide by boycotting this year's event. Sign the petition and join our boycott today!

In Northern Ireland, no matter who we are, our everyday speech is littered with Gaelic and Scots words. Many of the names of our towns and cities are derived from Irish, and it was historically spoken by many Protestant people across Ulster. It's wrong that a vile social media campaign has led this importance educational resource to move premises. Shared spaces where we learn from each other are vital for our peace-building and our quality of life. We offer our support and respect and stand firmly with all those involved in Naíscoil na Seolta.