USBF Announces Funding for New Ulster-Scots...

14 October 2025

The Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund (USBF) Investment Committee has awarded funding to two new projects.

One project will be fronted by a direct descendant of a US Declaration signatory and the other will feature an acclaimed local singer-songwriter.

As the USA prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in July 2026, Northern Star Pictures will follow former US Diplomat David McKean as he explores the story of his ancestor, Founding Father Thomas McKean whose parents emigrated from County Antrim. Thomas went on to help shape the US Declaration of Independence, a pivotal document with significant Ulster-Scots input. The documentary will be broadcast on RTE to mark the US Declaration’s July anniversary.

The second project will see singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside take inspiration from the Bard of Moneyrea, Robert Huddleston to create two new songs based on Huddleston’s 19th Century writings. The songs will be performed as part of a Huddleston event at the Ulster Folk Museum*, with Night Staff productions capturing Burnside’s deep dive into the archive and creating two evocative videos of his songs.

“It is great to have Northern Star Pictures sharing the story of the Ulster-Scots’ role in the US Declaration of Independence to an RTE audience,” said Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund Executive Heidi McAlpin.

“And Night Staff and Joshua Burnside’s reimagining of the archive of Ulster-Scots writer Robert Huddleston provides a fantastic opportunity to reach a new audience. Having this rich resource hosted across National Museums NI’s online platforms will ensure it is seen by both a local and global audience.”

*More details on the Huddleston event - The Last Folk Bards of Ulster - at the Ulster Folk Museum on Saturday 25th October, can be found here.