The new umbrella group Music Alliance Ireland/Comhaontas Ceoil na hÉireann will hold its next public meeting in Galway on Thursday 20 July at 1pm in the O’Donoghue Theatre in the University of Galway.

The meeting will discuss current issues in the Irish music sector including the provision of spaces for music in Galway city and county. All are welcome.

Music Alliance Ireland (MAI) is a group of national music organisations and companies that have come together to create a collective voice for the music sector in Ireland. The current steering group consists of performance groups, concert promoters and resource organisations with a remit across the island and involvement in a variety of musical genres. Members include the Contemporary Music Centre, Crash Ensemble, Diatribe Records, Improvised Music Company, Journal of Music, Kirkos Ensemble, Music Network and Trad Ireland/Traid Éireann. MAI meets several times a year and is open to new members. 

This will be the seventh public meeting held by the group following events at New Music Dublin, Quiet Lights festival, TradTalk conference, Clonmel Junction Arts Festival, and Your Roots are Showing folk conference in Monaghan.

The group has been involved in a number of advocacy campaigns since it was formed during the pandemic. It has published various submissions advocating for the music sector, including submissions to the Arts Council’s music policy, the Future of Media Commission, RTÉ Lyric FM, the Dublin City Council Cultural Infrastructural Study, the Dublin City Development Plan, and the Basic Income for the Arts pilot.

Attendees at the meeting will be able to find out more about Music Alliance Ireland and their recent projects. This will be followed by an open discussion on issues facing the music sector in Ireland. Speakers include Toner Quinn, Chair of Music Alliance Ireland and Editor of the Journal of Music, and Bianca Gannon, Project Manager of Music Alliance Ireland and Artist Development Officer with Improvised Music Company.

For further details on Music Alliance Ireland, visit www.musicallianceireland.ie.

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