today is the day (and not for a Teddy Bear’s Picnic)

This afternoon, both an Arts Council and a Theatre Forum delegation made presentations to the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

The Arts Council brought along Brendan Gleeson and Colum McCann who crucially they were able to demonstrate were supported in the early stage of their career by arts council funding. Theatre Forum brought Sebastian Barry and according to reports Fiach MacConghaile, Gabriel Byrne and Garry Hynes were all their too.

Like all lobbying, momentum is key and with the recent coverage of National Campaign for the Arts and with two strong presentations there is hope that some of those who will be making budget decisions in the next few months might be listening.

Here’s a little bit of what was said – Pat Moylan (chair of Arts Council)

The Arts Council supports 3,000 jobs (both directly and indirectly) with the €73 million allocation it receives from the taxpayer. In turn, those organisations pay €65 million in direct and indirect taxes each year. “Artists, actors, musicians and all those in the broad arts family – work with a sense of vocation. Certainly they gain much personal satisfaction when their work goes well. But to follow this way of life they are prepared to submit to low earnings, periods of no earnings, to continuous assessment of their work and talent – much of it public, to insecurity of employment or the loneliness of working in front of a computer or canvas.  There are no pension schemes, no lavish expenses, no sinecures. In other words there is no fat!  Funding cuts go straight to the bone.

Edited to add  Media Coverage of the Event (thanks to Theatre Forum)

Six One News (14 October)
Morning Ireland 1 (15 October): Conor Hunt report
Morning Ireland 2 (15 October): Colum McCann (speaker at the Committee) has been shortlisted for US National Book Awards
Irish Independent (15 October): Artists hope pen is mightier than economic slash-hook, Lise Hand
Irish Times (15 October): Artists lobby politicians to maintain funding, Deirdre Falvey
Irish Examiner (15 October): Gleeson: Film plans will collapse if Bord Snip implemented, Conor Ryan

National Campaign for the Arts

You might have seen a few articles and letters to various editors about the the value of the arts flying about at the moment. Following on from the Bord Snip report and now the Commission on Taxation report which threatens the Artists Tax Exemption many in the arts community are determined to fight for funding, recognition and the arts infrastructure. CBI is participating in the National Campaign.

Follow these links for a selection of relevant sites and articles. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter – @campaign4arts.

National Campaign For Arts

Dublin Central Arts Workers

Visual Artists Ireland respond re Artists Tax Exemption

Stuart McLaughlin on making the case for the Arts

Jim Culleton on Iceland, Ireland and Culture

Snip Snip went the report

There has been so much written about An Bord Snip already that in some ways I am loathed to add more google hits but here goes…..

The McCarthy report makes some recommendations specifically in relation to the Department of Arts Sports and Tourism (DAST) that will have a direct impact on the sector. For arts and literature the three key alarm bells are

1. The Department of Arts, Sport & Tourism should also be critically examined in light of the extensive savings that are proposed in this area and scope for transferring its functions to other Departments.
   Adopting the above proposals would allow for the creation of up to two other Departments, whose creation could reflect emerging priorities for the Government.
2. Reduction of allocation for Arts Council €6.1m
3. Discontinuation of allocation for Culture Ireland €4.6m

For children’s books there are other key areas of concern specifically within Education and these added to the cuts to the school library budgets already discussed are terrifying, how and ever that is for another post. Back to DAST.

The first thing that seems clear to me at least, is that DAST might not have the guts to fight for their own survival. There is a sense of inevitability about this recommendation and nothing since or before (when the rumours about the future of the department were rife) has shown me that there is a plan or a notion to oppose this from within the department or specifically the Minister’s office. Maybe I’m wrong and maybe behind closed doors there is a helluva barney going on. But if it is, its a very very quiet one. Taking away the department and its specific remit will be counterproductive in the long run.

A reduction in allocation to the Arts Council is probably no great surprise to anyone, least of all the Council themselves. What remains to be seen is how Council will react. Early signs indicate they are prepared to come out fighting. Of Course, as a state body they won’t comment about specifics but this week’s release of the long awaited Touring Experiment report might be an indication that they are intent on moving forwards instead of retrenching. Likewise the strong words from Galway at the weekend might be a sign of stronger words to come. What size of Merrion’s Square pie will be allocated to Literature is anybody’s guess. About 5% of Arts Council budget went specifically to Literature in 2009. There is other support through festivals, bursaries and the cnuas etc no where near enough to challenge theatre’s current 28%.

A €6mn reduction the Council’s budget is about a 10% decrease overall. Add to this the cuts rolled over from 2009 and it  is unlikely that literature’s allocation will do anything but fall. One very serious implication is where this leaves Dublin’s application for designation as UNESCO city of literature. In a time where cultural tourism is the happiest story that the arts sector can share, an under resourced literature sector won’t be able to fully support, celebrate and define a new designation.

And what is to happen to Culture Ireland- the body charged with promoting Irish Arts abroad. Its modest budget goes towards Irish arts and artists participating in international projects and events, helping to build our reputation and our cultural profile. For literature, Culture Ireland supported Irish publishers and organisations attending bookfairs and making international contacts. International rights deals are hugely important to irish publishing, offering a vital supplement to retail income. And while CI’s support to literature was lower than other artforms, taking away an organisation charged promoting arts abroad will have a detrimental effect on the sector as a whole. Similar to disbanding DAST, if Culture Ireland goes, it will be very hard to get it back.

So far, so gloomy. I’m sure there are so bright sparks out there its just that the fog has fallen now and its hard to lift it. Hopefully more cheery posts to follow later in the week!

Arts Council Funding Decisions

News of the funding decisions (and revised decisions) are trickling out slowly.

The Irish Times carries a piece today about the range of cuts facing most organisations – Alas is seems that all funding to the Irish Writers Centre has been cut. A total cut like this is obviously devastating. I hope Cathal, Ian and the team can cope.

For us in CBI things look a bit better. Our funding has been maintained at 2008 levels which is a massive relief.

Not such a happy Christmas for the arts community it seems-  though some good news comes with the announcement of Celine Kiernan’s new book deal – see David or Irish Times

New members of arts council announced

Finally White Smoke from Merrion Square.

Six new members and a new chairperson have been announced for the Arts Council. The positions have been vacant for 6 months now and there was a rising feeling of despair among the arts community.  Had  the Minister forgotten about the council entirely?

Pat Moylan – independent producer is the new chairperson. Other new members are Louise Donlon; Paul Johnson; Fiona Kearney; Sheila O’Neill; Orlaith McBride; and Caroline Senior. Interestingly of the 6 new appointees four are in charge of arts venues, a shift away perhaps from including a high proportion of artists on the Council.

None of the new  appointees have a strong literature background. Does this leaves Colm Tóibín  as perhaps the sole voice for literature on the Council?

Full biogs and details over on the Arts Council

budget blues

David has some quick off the draw analysis of what the budget means for the Arts sector. Its not cheery.

But even worse and what may have slipped under the radar is the fact that €7.5m has been taken off aid for books in DEIS schools and €2.1m is gone from school library grants. That €2.1m is 100% of the department of education contribution to school library grants. It’s shocking that despite all the evidence about the importance of school libraries DES have withdrawn all of their funding.

The implications of the budget for the public library sector are not so easy to see currently but it is clear that any cut in library funding usually hits the book budget hardest of all.

Mercier’s Eoin Purcell – on the Arts Council and Children’s Publishing

Thanks to Tom in CBI and Michael Diggle for sending this my way. Intesting post from Mercier Press Commissioning Editor Eoin Purcell about arts council funding and publishers in Ireland.

He makes many interesting points about what exactly arts council funding can facilitate.

Since joining Mercier Press I have been struck by the confidence with which the company embarks on large-scale illustrated children’s projects. These only happen because the original artwork can be commissioned with the aid of Arts Council funds. Even then, the first print runs of such titles are tightly costed affairs and yet they deliver wonderful books into the hands of young readers instilling a love of reading and reinforcing the threads and stories of Irish history and mythology.

He’s also honest about his own change of heart with regard to Arts Council funding.

A younger, more radical and, if I am honest, less wise me was prone to knocking the function of the Irish Arts Council. I propounded the view that books should be able to stand on merit in a given market, even artistic books, and that companies which required funding to support their literary and artistic lists were failing somehow.

Eoin blogs regularly on www.thebookseller.com and also has his own blog - well worth a visit