A chara, – Your main editorial of November 11th ("Cultural vandalism") hits several nails on the head. You write, "The €4 million fund allocated to the 2016 commemorations would be better spent safeguarding the heritage that previous generations did so much to gather and build into collections of vital importance to understanding the past".
Over the past year or so, you have published several letters from your readers making the same general point. Is there anyone listening out there? Please remind me, why exactly do we have a Minister for the Arts? – Is mise,
COLETTE
NÍ MHOITLEIGH,
Baile Átha Cliath 6.
Sir, – In your editorial, you refer to the record of the Government in areas of arts and heritage, the economic arguments for investment in the arts and the need for more voices to be heard from the arts community.
A new way of thinking is needed to allow our cultural sectors to develop and flourish involving collaboration between the arts community, private sector business and government. A strong lobbying voice for the economic and commercial interests of people in these sectors is required.
It is for these reasons that the Chamber of Arts, Heritage and Culture was established in 2013 to address a deficit which we identified in the support available for creative people who wished to commercialise their ideas. We started a conversation at our inaugural forum in Dublin Castle in January 2014 on how our cultural resources could be harnessed to make them key economic drivers; this led to the launch of our strategic plan in June.
Quite apart from the economic arguments, arts, heritage and culture should be supported in themselves for their intrinsic value and as they are essential to who we are as a people. However, the economic arguments based on our research are absolutely compelling.
These sectors are the largest contributors to GDP in a number of EU countries, government subsidies are a tiny part of the income generated by these sectors and the type of employment created in them is exactly the type of long-term, diversified and sustainable jobs that are needed for the development of a knowledge economy.
We call on Government to examine the clear and compelling economic data and ensure that these sectors are supported in the same way that other key economic sectors are supported.
Our cultural resources are our greatest resource as a people but they can also be our greatest economic resource and as we approach the centenary of 1916 we have an unparalleled opportunity not just to safeguard and develop our rich tradition in arts, heritage and culture but to also harness these unique resources to drive our economic renewal. – Yours, etc,
NEIL KEENAN,
Chairman,
AUDREY McKENNA,
Chief Executive,
Chamber of Arts,
Heritage and Culture
(Ireland) Limited,
21 Castle Street,
Dalkey, Co Dublin.