22 July 2025, 12:45
The National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland’s Junior Choir in rehearsals.
Picture:
NYCNI
The choir currently serves thousands of young singers in Northern Ireland.
The National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland has announced it will close after losing all its Arts Council funding.
The choir, previously known as the Ulster Youth Choir, sent an email to alumni members this week revealing the “devastating news” that it had lost approximately £60,000 of annual funding and so the board of trustees had decided “to close the organisation down.”
NYCNI runs five choirs, some of which are residential, for singers aged eight to 24 and its annual programme works with thousands of young singers each year. The courses taking place this summer will be the last of their kind.
The organisation said: “Our reach is huge and we impact the lives of thousands of young people each year and despite this devastating news, we are so proud of the work we do.”
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There has been a huge amount of backlash to the decision, with several taking to social media to express their dismay.
“It beggars belief that the funding is being cut for the National Youth Choir NI,” one parent posted to X.
“The National Youth Choir has been an amazing experience for my son who is this week at the Senior Choir residential,” they added. “The standard would blow you away, I challenge anyone with power who hears the choir to reconsider removing the funding.”
Alumna Rosie Cameron shared NYCNI’s announcement on X, saying: “I am so annoyed at this news. I joined NYCNI in 2018, just months after I began singing lessons. It offered me an encouraging environment to develop as a singer and I owe my love of choral music to the organisation. It is a crucial part of music education in NI.”
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A spokesperson for the Arts Council of Northern Ireland said the decision was not based on funding pressures.
“Unfortunately, with disappointment this year the National Youth Choir did not receive funding from the Arts Council’s 25-26 Annual Funding Programme,” it said.
“The decision not to fund the NYCNI this year was unrelated to funding pressures and based on the ability of the organisation to meet the programme’s criteria.
“Our staff members have provided the company with detailed feedback on their application, and have met with them to discuss their immediate plans and future funding opportunities.”