The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has awarded £13.6m of funding to 109 arts organisations in its annual funding allocation.

The Annual Funding Programme allows arts organisations to make a one-off application to secure public funds from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and the National Lottery.

Funding is awarded for running costs and programming.

This year 15 organisations have landed the funding for the first time including music festival Glasgowbury, Terra Nova, Craft and Design Collective, and Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival.

Arts Council chief executive Roisin McDonough said the funding supports grassroots community organisations such as the Belfast Circus School, to major cultural venues such as The Lyric and The MAC.

"All of these organisations rely on public funding to support their day-to-day work and their annual events programmes," McDonough said.

"With the reduction of executive funding for the arts set to continue, serious challenges still remain ahead for an already acutely under funded sector."