‘Keeping the show on the road is not a cliché; it is a real challenge for many,’ wrote Orlaith Mc Bride, Director of the Arts Council, this week in a message to artists and arts organisations around Ireland. ‘The country is, we hope, slowly emerging from the economic crisis,’ she wrote. ‘As we progress, one question we ask ourselves is how can the arts be part of the catharsis of building a better society? Alongside catharsis is a fundamental issue of survival.’

The Arts Council’s budget has been reduced by 7% in the 2014 budget, leaving a total of €56 million to spend across all art forms — this marks the sixth year in a row that the Arts Council’s budget has been cut, a decision described by the National Campaign for the Arts as ‘shortsighted’ and one ‘which will further undermine the cultural life of all our citizens’.

‘While [the budget allocation is] diminished,’ said McBride, ‘it remains a significant investment by tax-paying citizens who are themselves hard-pressed. It also represents a continued and strong commitment from the Government. Our job is to invest those reduced resources with greatest impact, allowing artists and arts organisations to respond as inventively and with as much inspiration as possible.’

McBride said that their was great potential to be realised within Ireland’s arts community. ‘Our role is to steer development and offer advice on how Ireland’s artistic and cultural potential can be realised,’ she said, saying that artist work under extraordinary pressure, adding that the people of Ireland ‘need and are thirsting for the kind of collaborative engagement that only comes from the arts’.

‘So we have less money, but we have no less determination,’ wrote McBride. ‘The Arts Council’s role is arguably much more important in lean times. Every decision matters more. It matters more to artists and arts organisations. It matters more to the public and those audiences who are engaging with the arts in ever greater numbers.’

For an overview of upcoming deadlines for Arts Council music awards see our Jobs and Opportunities page.

A Creative Nation

Research conducted by the Arts Council and RedC — published recently to coincide with the Global Irish Economic Forum — found that 90% of the Irish population see Ireland as a creative country, with the same number agreeing that this reputation is a boost for tourism in Ireland.

Ireland’s reputation for innovation and creativity is in part due to the arts, according to 84% of the people surveyed, with 51% of people believing that multinational companies’ decisions to open offices in Ireland is influenced by Ireland’s artistic reputation.

Orlaith McBride said that the findings of the survey showed that the Irish have a ‘huge appreciation and respect for the arts’. She said that the recent growth of creative industries in Ireland was an ‘engine of opportunity’ for Ireland.

‘If we are to take advantage of this opportunity,’ said McBride, ‘a national aptitude for creativity is essential. This creativity will stem only from a vibrant arts sector and will help to contribute to making Ireland a global leader in research and development, gaming, technology and in a range of different sectors.’