A new umbrella body representing the main national cultural institutions was inaugurated yesterday. Six of the institutions have received extra funding to set up a joint website as part of an integrated marketing initiative.
The National Cultural Institutions Council has been established by the Minister for the Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms Sile de Valera.
The council will work as a forum for the pooling of ideas and the formulation of joint policy by 10 national cultural institutions: the National Archives, the National Museum, the National Library, the National Gallery, the Arts Council, the Heritage Council, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the National Concert Hall, the Chester Beatty Library and the National Theatre.
The chairwoman of the council is Ms Judith Woodworth, director of the National Concert Hall.
Speaking at the inauguration of the council yesterday in Dublin Castle, she said she expected the council would meet once a month, although subgroups might be established to work on areas of interest.
The Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Mr Eamon O Cuiv, speaking for the Minister for the Arts, who was ill, said they would pursue the extra funding necessary to run the council.
Ms Woodworth specified that this would include funding for a permanent secretariat and research.
She also said the council would not wish to be seen to exclude the wider arts constituency and would aim to be relevant to it.
The issue of the funding status of the The Abbey, which receives its support through the Arts Council rather than the Department, unlike institutions such as IMMA and the National Concert Hall, has still to be resolved.
The National Theatre has long been lobbying to be funded by the Department, but the Arts Council has been resistant to the change.
The artistic director of the National Theatre, Mr Patrick Mason, said yesterday that his place on the new council highlighted this anomaly. "Our funding body can't meet our capital requirements," he said.
"The Arts Council has no resources to fund our capital needs. We have a major public building. How do we ensure the future of that building?"
