Other Voices announces new conference on culture and business

The Other Voices music festival is expanding this year, with a major conference exploring how arts and culture can drive Ireland’s competitiveness.

Titled Ireland's Edge: Creativity, The Diaspora and Realising Potential, the conference will bring together leaders from the political, business and creative spheres to discuss a future strategy for Ireland on creativity and diaspora engagement. The event, in association with The Irish Times, takes place in the Skellig Hotel, Dingle, Co Kerry on December 4th as part of Other Voices, which runs until December 6th.

The Minister for Diaspora Affairs Jimmy Deenihan will open the conference, along with Other Voices’ Philip King, and Kathy Sheridan will moderate the opening discussion. Among those taking part are Eamonn Sinnott, general manager at Intel Ireland, Nóirín Hegarty, operations director for Lonely Planet Ireland, and Linda Doyle, professor of engineering and the arts in Trinity College.

Ciara Kenny, who runs the Generation Emigration forum in this newspaper, will moderate a discussion on the diaspora, with panellists including Joey Kavanagh, creator of the Get the Boat to Vote campaign during this year's equality referendum, film director Dave Tynan, and actress Ruth Negga.

The US Ambassador to Ireland Kevin O'Malley will also discuss his embassy's Creative Minds project, along with performances from Other Voices artists and the Texas-based folk singer Shakey Graves.

“I believe that here in Ireland there is something unique about our DNA as a people - a creative ability, an artistic flair, an innovative aptitude,” said Eamonn Sinnott. “This unique creative ability will become more valuable than ever as we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in time in terms of how technology is changing the world around us and advancing at an astonishing pace. We will be required as people to have different sorts of discussions and solve new sets of problems and challenges that are beyond the realm of our current computing and technology skills. This will require an ever-increasing merger of science and arts and a greater emphasis on multi-disciplinary skills. This is an exciting opportunity for us to explore this unique intersection of perspectives.”

Speaking in advance of the event, Minister for Diaspora Affairs Jimmy Deenihan said: “The conference will be an important and creative opportunity to reach out to our diaspora. Those that come home will be welcomed back to take their place in the rebuilding of our economy. They will bring with them their new-found experience and the confidence that they have gained through the journeys that have made. Ireland’s Edge is a unique event that will allow us to showcase the creativity and innovation that has been at the heart of Ireland’s journey and I am delighted to be a part of it.”

Tickets for the event (€32.10) are available through Eventbrite.ie. Click here for more details. .

Other Voices is now in its 14th year. This year's event will see performances from Jack Garratt, Lapsley, Richard Hawley and American band Low, along with a free Music Trail and Banter discussions with Jim Carroll. See othervoices.ie.