National Campaign for the Arts Seeking €150m for Arts Council in Budget 2023

National Campaign for the Arts Seeking €150m for Arts Council in Budget 2023

Call for Ministers and Government departments to 'stand by the arts'.

The National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA), the voluntary campaign making the case for the arts in Ireland, has published its Pre-Budget 2023 Submission, which includes ten key asks of Government in the preparation of Budget 2023.

Among them are an increase of €20m to €150m for the Arts Council in 2023, funding of €7 million for Culture Ireland, and to retain Creative Ireland’s current funding up to 2027.

The NCFA is also seeking action on systemic barriers for disabled artists and arts workers; actions to address the climate emergency, the lack of diversity in the arts, and the issue of spaces for the arts; increased research into the arts sector; and insurance and taxation reform.

Commenting on the submission, and referring to recent initiatives such as the Basic Income for the Arts pilot, the steering group of the NCFA said:

It has been a year of renewed hope for many: the moment the arts community came in from the cold and took a step towards societal equity, and the possibility that a decent life working in the arts could become a reality. However, it is of paramount importance to recognise that those working in the arts have only just gripped the bottom rung of the ladder. There is a long journey ahead, not only in recovering from what was wrought by the pandemic, but in climbing back from decades of underfunding and indifference.

They added:

The arts give us the building blocks of a life better lived, the freedom of creativity and imagination, the life skills of empathy and compassion. Without the arts, our world would be one-dimensional. They are vital to the fabric of our society. … The 10 key points laid out in the NCFA Pre-Budget 2023 Submission are the fundamental elements needed to embed the arts truly and deeply in Irish society.

Budget 2023 will be announced at the end of September. Download the full NCFA submission below, or visit http://ncfa.ie.

Published on 11 August 2022

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