Arts Council calls for funds to reverse cuts

The Arts Council said yesterday it needs a substantial funding increase next year to help reverse the "devastating" effects of budgetary cutbacks this year.

In its pre-Budget submission, the council estimates that up to 1,000 artists have lost part-time employment so far this year due to cancelled productions and tours.

The council, which part-funds 600 arts groups and 2,000 artists, says many Irish companies have been unable to perform at prestigious international festivals, many artists have begun to emigrate and newly-built theatres at home are being under-utilised.

Following €44 million in funding in the 2003 Budget, which represented a year-on-year cut of almost 12 per cent, the council says €53 million is needed next year for the public to enjoy the "fruits of Ireland's enormous artistic potential".

Ms Olive Braiden, chairwoman of the new Arts Council, said the council acknowledged the budgetary constraints due to poor economic conditions, but insisted its funding request was reasonable.

"There may be some who say we should be demanding more than this but I think this is a fair position and I hope it will be accepted as that," she said.

"The Minister for Finance would have an easy job if everybody was willing to accept for next year what they should have got this year, so I hope he will give the Minister for Arts a good hearing."

The council says that even with the amount of money it is seeking, it would only be able to satisfy around half the demands that will be made on the Arts Council by organisation, festivals and artists.

The director of the council, Ms Patricia Quinn, said many arts venues around the country, the number of which has grown considerably in recent years, had been adversely affected by the funding cuts this year.

"All these venues rely on the Arts Council for a significant portion of their revenue funding, and also for subsidised tours of companies, whether theatre, dance, music, opera, film or visual arts."

She said the funding cuts in 2003, despite increases in recent years, had been devastating by diminishing momentum and confidence in the sector.

The council has announced that it intends to host an information session for 370 arts organisations that have applied for funding for 2004 to inform them how grant applications will be processed next year.

The council has also published its pre-Budget submission for the first time in its 52-year history.

Ms Braiden said: "The new council and I as its chair are earnest in our desire to be as open as possible with the sector and to share with them the detail of our application to Government for funding and the detail of how the council will make its decisions once it gets its allocations from the Exchequer.

"All of that detail will be given in a presentation next week to the arts organisations and there will be opportunity for queries and questions."