Recent appointments to The Arts Council suggest that the fortunes of amateur theatre may be looked upon with some sympathy. Brian Farrell is a fair and experienced chairperson, T.V. Honan, founding member of Waterford Spraoi came as General Manager to Red Kettle from a community theatre background. He likes to use the word "voluntary theatre" for non-paid efforts. T.V. has listened to many problems, when acting as arts consultant to a number of Local Authorities. He is also a member of the Cultural Relations Committee of the Department of Foreign Affairs and a Board Member of Garter Lane Arts Centre.
Another supporter will be Maire Ni Riain from Limerick. National Treasurer of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland since 1981, she will know the financial difficulties under which groups operate. Maire is also Secretary of the Drama Council of Munster, an area with a high standard and one in which groups perform on professional stages without undue fuss.
Brendan Flynn was involved in the Clifden Community Arts Week from the beginning. It will celebrate its silver anniversary next month with a distinguished panel of writers, Breton and Irish traditional music. Brendan has been vice-principal and acting principal of Clifden Community College. He will know the struggles that arts organisers in provincial towns endure.
Other members of the board may also be sensitive to non-paid exponents, but there is at least one adversary. The Council's Drama Policy Document "Going On" points out that its theatre review examined the role of amateur drama, community drama and drama provision for children and young people. Among the main conclusions and initiatives noted is the intention to put mechanisms in place to develop the audience for theatre. "Voluntary" theatre has played a vital role in this. It has also built theatres to hold the audiences. "Drama-in the Community will be supported under the drama budget. Community Drama will be supported under the Community Arts budget." These initiatives mean that the Arts Council will consider applications in respect of professional drama companies bringing their work to audiences in the community or from professional theatre companies developing within a company. But community arts organisations working through drama will have their applications considered within the Council's Community Arts Budget.
The Council promises support to "umbrella organisations in Amateur Drama, and for professionals working with amateur drama groups," but it "will not . . . offer funding to individual amateur drama groups." The document's specific section on amateur theatre expresses a recognition of the contribution of amateur theatre in terms of knowledge and access to drama for many people. It "notes with regret that recent developments have served to fragment rather than to unify the world of amateur drama and it is to be hoped that the disparate elements will find ways to promote the long-term common good of the movement." And before someone says I am re-running a column of 15 years ago, for once it is a relief to be out of space!
