Dear Minister O’Donovan,
As members of Ireland’s arts community, we warmly welcome you to your role as Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport, & look forward to working with you in championing a flourishing cultural landscape. We are encouraged by the commitment to transparency & accountability reflected in your plans to undertake a review of the Arts Council. The Arts Council is a vital part of the arts infrastructure in supporting arts, artists & the cultural life in Ireland & it is important the state & arts community have confidence in it. A strong, efficient, & fair public funding body is essential to the continued success of artists, arts workers, & cultural organisations across Ireland.
We, the undersigned, are writing to express our deep concern regarding the recent revelations stemming from the Arts Council’s 2023 Annual Report & the as-yet-incomplete & urgently required project to develop an IT system fit for purpose. While we acknowledge the need for transparency, accountability, & a robust review of operations, we seek your assurances that any root-and-branch review will have no adverse consequences for the artists and arts workers. Funding the Arts Council provides to the arts community should be protected, as should the arms-length principle that safeguards the art enabled by that funding.
The arts sector is the backbone of Ireland’s cultural identity & creative economy. Thousands rely on the support of the Arts Council to sustain their work & livelihoods. Any uncertainty regarding funding structures or policy changes risks destabilising an already precarious sector.
We call on you, as Minister for Arts, to:
1. Guarantee no artist or arts worker will experience financial hardship as a result of the ongoing review
2. Ensure funding levels for artists & arts organisations are protected & not diminished due to administrative or technical failings outside their control
3. Ensure the Arts Act 2003 & the core principle of arm’s-length funding – essential to the protection of artistic autonomy & freedom – will be upheld throughout
4. Commit that the process will be transparent & include meaningful consultation with artists, arts workers, & representative bodies
5. Prioritise future investment & the development of an equitable, functional & accessible Arts Council that serves the needs of those creating & enabling art in Ireland
The arts community has clearly demonstrated a significant return on investment from public arts funding. Artists, arts workers & organisations continue to repay the nation’s investment in the sector through employment & tourism as well as discernible positive impacts on individuals & communities in the areas of societal cohesion, inclusion, creativity, critical thinking, innovation, entrepreneurship, global reputation, health, mental wellbeing, education, diversity, & more.
While artists & arts workers are not responsible for the failures surrounding the Arts Council’s IT system, many depend on the Arts Council. The sector has yet to receive a response to our communications with your office since the revelations in early February. We strongly urge you to reaffirm the government’s commitment to supporting Ireland’s artistic community & to ensure this review strengthens rather than undermines the sector.
We, the undersigned, ask for a timely reassurance of your plans to safeguard the livelihoods & dignity of those who make Ireland’s arts & culture possible.