Rural Engagement Arts Programme

The purpose of the Rural Engagement Arts Programme (REAP) is to provide an integrated, cohesive approach to the needs of local rural communities while recognising some specific issues they face.

The primary theme of REAP is combatting isolation and loneliness and promoting social inclusion.

There are a number of ways to differentiate between loneliness and social isolation:

• Loneliness can affect any age group; it is the subjective, unpleasant and distressing phenomenon stemming from a difference between an individual’s desired and achieved level of social relationships.
• Social isolation is a forced isolation from normal social networks caused by loss of mobility or deteriorating health.

For more information, visit Arts Council of Northern Ireland