Archive for May, 2016

After the new Irish government was formed, and the cabinet appointments were announced, an astonishing decision came to light: a new hybrid department called the Department for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts & the Gaeltacht which will be helmed by Heather Humphreys TD.

This caused consternation among arts organisations and creatives around the country and it galvanised into an online petition, organised by Joe O’Brien.

Give arts, culture and heritage the respect it deserves by creating an independent Department and setting a funding target of 0.6% of GDP (the EU average spend on arts/culture). Ireland has one of the lowest levels of public support in the EU.

It has already garnered over 13,000 signatures. You can sign it now, and share it, if you haven’t done so already.

It spawned a hashtag on Twitter called #ArtsDeptNow, which is one of the best ways to track the emerging conversation about the lack of funding and focus on the arts.

Academic Dr Emily Mark-FitzGerald has created a blog post, called Get in Formation: Irish Arts & Heritage Rising, that offers a comprehensive overview of the issue and keeps track of all of the articles being written about this matter online and in print.

The National Campaign for the Arts has also issued a Press Release calling on Minister Heather Humphreys to adopt a new all-party approach to national cultural policy.

Many prominent artists/writers/directors/actors are now calling for change, and using social media to alert Heather Humphreys and the cabinet to the fact that the Arts are not just a cultural photo op, but a vital resource that requires proper funding and recognition.