The headline sponsor of the Randox Grand National unveiled the trophy for the 2021 event with a tribute to key workers of the Covid-19 pandemic. Shown to the public for the first time on Saturday 3rd April during ITV Racing's Opening Show, the 2021 trophy was designed for the second year by leading NI Silversmith Cara Murphy. On a great day for Irish racing at Aintree, both the Grand National winner Rachel Blackmore and Cara Murphy received much acclaim on social media following the big race.

The unique design of the silver and gold trophy, which includes illustrations of the Covid-19 virus on its base, acknowledges a historic year and the collective efforts of all key workers during this time.

The Arts Council has rounded up just some of the fantastic creative activities and performances you can enjoy online, most of which are funded by the Arts Council, the Dept for Communities and the National Lottery.

New highlights include: 

The Crescent Arts Centre has revealed the dates for the Belfast Book Festival 2021. The 11th Festival will be a digital celebration of books and will run from the 10th-13th June.

Dylan Quinn Dance Theatre has launched an 8-week health and wellbeing programme to support positive mental health and wellbeing habits for young people, adults and older people. Alongside the classes there will be nutrition and wellbeing information and advice.

After two successful cohorts, The BRIT Trust together with the BPI and DiVA Apprenticeships are offering another 10 companies the opportunity to participate in the BRITs Apprenticeship Scheme. They are looking for suitable host companies for up to 10 apprentices. The BPI will fund training and 2/3 of each apprentice's salary. A webinar at 2pm on 13th April will help answer any questions. If you are interested in hosting an apprentice, please complete the brits-application-form.docx and return by 5pm on 4th May 2021 to apprenticeships@bpi.co.uk .

The RSL believes that literature is at its best when it includes voices from the greatest breadth of backgrounds and experiences, in all literary forms, from across the UK. In 2020, with the launch of the RSL Open programme, the Society is celebrating the great diversity of outstanding writers and writing by electing 60 Fellows over two years from communities under-represented in UK literature. RSL is asking you to recommend excellent writers from communities under-represented in UK literary culture for nomination to Fellowship. Deadline: 1st May 2021.

This year marks the 24th year of European Heritage Open Days (EHOD), Northern Ireland's annual celebration of local architecture, history and culture. Hundreds of properties and locations open their doors and organise free events for the public each September.

• EHOD provides a unique opportunity for the public to see 'behind closed doors' at a variety of historic places, many of which are not normally open to the public. 
• The public can enjoy talks, tours, exhibitions, workshops, walks and traditional skills demonstrations. 
• It's a celebration of Northern Ireland's history and culture through art, literature, song, dance, drama, film, food and crafts.

If you are an event organiser or a venue owner and would like to take part in this year's event, you can register online. Registration closes on 5 May 2021.

The Writers Lab is a virtual script development programme, the first its kind, devoted exclusively to script development for woman-identifying writers over 40. Over 4 days, with 5 months of ongoing development support,
12 screenwriters from across all regions of the UK & Ireland will be mentored by some of the industry's best writers and producers.

The Writers Lab UK & Ireland is presented with support from Dirty Films, in association with Birds' Eye View, Screen Scotland, Northern Ireland Screen, Screen Skills Ireland, Ffilm Cymru Wales & BFI NETWORK with funding from the National Lottery, and New York Women in Film & Television.

The Lab takes place virtually on 10th-13th June. 

Submissions are open until 30th April.

The Arts & Business NI Awards 2021, in partnership with Forestside, celebrate the best examples of arts and business creative partnerships and the outstanding achievements of these collaborations throughout Northern Ireland. Arts & Business NI is encouraging entries for business and arts partnerships which took place between 1st September 2019 – 31st March 2021.

Keep up to date with the latest Coronavirus updates from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, including a list of potential funding sources which might be helpful to artists and arts organisations at this time. We will update this list as we go along. 

If you know of any other sources, please contact us at and we will share with the sector.