MONICA SPENCER,
Madam, - The recent cut in Arts Council grant aid to arts organisations throughout the country is having a devastating effect on these organisations.
For some, key aspects of programming are affected, for many there will be serious staffing and planning repercussions, and for quite a few it will be the final straw leaving them with no option but to fold.
All sectors of Irish society are facing challenging times at the moment, but we cannot believe that proper cognisance was taken of the impact of these cuts. For many years now the serious underfunding of a sector critical to the development of Irish life has been acknowledged.
To make do with a small increase or a standstill grant by Government to the Arts Council would have been challenging enough. To now have to deal with a cut of 8 per cent is totally unacceptable.
There is no logic in a cut of €4 million in arts funding by Government. There is even less logic in the variety of decisions subsequently made by the Arts Council.
Artists have been and are suffering. Audiences will suffer. An integral part of Irish society is being seriously affected. - Yours, etc.,
MONICA SPENCER,
Executive Director,
Daghdha Dance;
GARRY HYNES,
Artistic Director,
Druid Theatre Company;
FERGUS LINEHAN,
Director,
Dublin Theatre Festival;
MICHAEL COLGAN,
Director,
Gate Theatre;
GERRY GODLEY,
Chief Executive,
Improvised Music Company;
MARTIN MURPHY,
Artistic Director,
Team Educational
Theatre Company;
JEROME HYNES,
Chief Executive,
Wexford Festival Opera;
JOHN KELLY,
Chief Executive,
Irish Chamber Orchestra,
University of Limerick.