A CLUTCH of Irish artistic talent – including legendary singer Mary Black, actor and star of In America and The Tudors Sarah Bolger, actor and Aprés Match star Risteard Cooper, singer/songwriter Damian Dempsey, Mercury Prize nominee Lisa Hannigan, actor-novelist Amy Huberman, and composer Bill Whelan – came out in force at the Ark cultural centre for children in Dublin yesterday to back a National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA).
Abbey director Fiach MacConghail, in a rousing speech, said: “This Republic was founded by artists, poets and patriots, and in this room today there are artists, poets and patriots too.
“This campaign encompasses 20,000 of our members with a unity of purpose.
“Yes, there are cuts in the economy, but artists want to be positive about turning things around and contributing to the national recovery.
He urged people to get involved, via ncfa.ie and http://nationalcampaignforthearts.wordpress.com The room-full of talent from Ireland’s music, film, theatre, literary and visual arts worlds also included singer/songwriter Paul Brady; actors Don Wycherley, Una Kavanagh and Domhnall Gleeson; writers Anne Enright and Colm Tóibín; visual artists Gerard Byrne and Alan Phelan; composer Shay Healy; opera singer Virginia Kerr; architects Seán Ó Laoire and Paul Keogh; theatre festival director Loughlin Deegan; theatre director Lynne Parker and more, supporting a national campaign to put culture centre stage in national recovery.
NCFA is calling for the retention of Culture Ireland, which promotes Irish arts abroad, and the Irish Film Board, both of which face closure following the McCarthy report.
It also calls for continuing existing levels of arts funding for the Arts Council and full representation at senior cabinet level.
Music promoter Gerry Godley welcomed the support shown at Farmleigh for the important role of Irish culture, and mentioned this week’s Emmy wins by Brendan Gleeson and Dearhhla Walsh and Culture Night tomorrow, which expects about half a million people to take part nationally.
Actor Domhnall Gleeson, son of one of those two Emmy winners, said he and his brother watched the Emmys together at home in Dublin, and were straight on the mobile to text their parents in LA.
Novelist Colm Tóibín asked whether the taxation commission report – “for which the chairman was paid €1,000 per half days work, so they are obviously skilled people” – had done any research on how artists function.
The report suggested a tax exemption for sports people but not for artists, “as if artists are not good role models”.
“Any kid looking for inspiration, say in traditional music, can see Martin Hayes, Riverdance, the Chieftains.
“Look at Anne Enright here, or Mary Black, Marian Keyes – are they not good role models, especially for young girls, as much as Sonia OSullivan is?” Tóibín asked.
Opera singer Virginia Kerr said “the arts are the one thing in this country that aren’t broke”.
Young actor Sarah Bolger was there with her mother, taking a break from filming The Tudors to support “a vital industry”.
Novelist Anne Enright said “the time is right for us to look at what we value and how we’re going to preserve it, to look at all the things we’ve lost in the past year, and make sure art isn’t one of them”.