`If I ruled the arts world'

The person appointed will have knowledge and experience of the arts and understand the dynamic nature of arts development. She/he will have a detailed knowledge of central and local government, excellent communications skills preferably in both English and Irish and experience of managing a team of highly motivated and specialist staff" So read the recent newspaper advertisement for the most important position in the arts in Ireland that of director of the Arts Council. The candidate will appear before an interview board, appointed by the Council members and probably including Council members.

Those who work in the arts area however, feel still more will be required of the new appointee to this £43,000 a year (under review) position. Speculation a to who may get the job is wide spread. Most mentioned names are Fiach MacConghail, of the Project Arts Centre in Dublin Jerome Hynes of the Wexford Opera Festival Medb Ruane former visual arts officer with the Arts Council Patricia Quinn, its former opera officer Lar Cassidy, director of "Ireland and the Diaspora" at this year's book fair Sandy Fitzgerald of the "City Arts Centre in Dublin Martin Drury of the Ark children's centre in Dublin and Doireann Ni Bhriain, of L'Imaginaire Irlandais.

Pressed as to what qualities his successor should possess the outgoing director of the Arts Council, Adrian Munnelly said "one of the greatest attributes required is discretion, and for that reason I will not be commenting further." The closing date for applications for the post is Friday, July 19th.

Here is what some of them said to us

LELIA DOOLAN, CHAIRWOMAN OF THE IRISH FILM BOARD: "I regret the resignation of Adrian Munnelly after all his years of excellent service. It's a welcome fact that the Arts Council is a member of Statcom (a coordinating committee of eight semi state agencies) and so is committed to a strong film policy. Film is the most universal art form of the 20th century and will probably be in the next millennium because it employs every branch of the arts, as well as all the new media technologies. So of course I'd like to see a Director with a passion for Irish film and its development. I would also like to see a full time film officer appointed by the Council, and a working film maker on the Council itself."

JAMES HICKEY, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE (the Abbey): "The new Director should have wide knowledge of all aspects of the arts in Ireland, not only as regards the practise of the arts but also an awareness of how the arts are structured financially and corporately. A particular challenge for the new director, in terms of the theatre and the performance arts generally, will be in coming to terms with and addressing the complexity of the market, both in the context of box office, sponsorship, and other sources of revenue for the theatre from the private sector as opposed to the public, sector. An issue of enormous significance is the question of capitals funding for the infrastructure of that in Dublin, what has been spent to date and needs to be spent. He/she should oversee the rationalisation of the relationship between FAS spending and that of the Council, and should adopt a more pro active and public role in campaigning for the allocation of greater government resources to the council

NUALA NI DHOMHNAIL, POET "There are two major skills required, vision and itty bitty practicality. Colm O Briain, a former director of the Arts Council and Adrian (Munnelly, the outgoing director) had both qualities between them and served the Council marvelously. Maybe there should be two positions, a Director with vision and imagination, and an administrator to implement his/her ideas. Whoever it is should set up an arts agency for "people going abroad because the present Foreign Affairs arrangement does not work. It is also important he/she has good Irish. It doesn't have to be a gaelgeoir, but someone who is sympathetic to that aspect of our culture. Some appointments have, been made, particularly at RTE, where this has not been a requirement, and it tells.

GARRY HYNES, CONSULTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE DRUID THEATRE COMPANY: "The person appointed should be dynamic, have great energy and application for what is a tough, tough role. In a sense the director is responsible for the public profile of the Arts Council, like it or not. He/she should be flexible and visionary, because the arts in this country are changing out of recognition. Unquestionably he/she should be capable, and have the capacity to listen to what the artists on the ground are saying. It would have to be someone with a strong track record of achievement, especially in the arts world. Someone with great diplomatic and administrative skills, and who is able to understand how the arts, as a business, work."

THEO DORGAN, DIRECTOR OF POETRY IRELAND/EIGSE EIREANN: "The new Director must have the political skills to ensure, the autonomy of the Arts Council. He/she must ensure the continuing shift in the culture at the Arts Council, from one of patronage, even patronising, to one where arts organisations are allowed autonomy in development, and he/she must ensure that respect for the autonomy of the individual artist is fostered. There may be a dagey that the waywardness and individual genius of the artist could get lost in the scuffle. He/she should be a person of vision, with a strong sense of what is happening in the arts in different cultures and how the arts generally are in constant flux not just a bureaucrat with an aesthetic of his/her own and a passion for a particular art form."

JUDITH WOODWORTH, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL CONCERT HALL: "The first thing required in a new director of the Arts Council is a breadth of vision of all the art forms whether performance, visual, or creative. Ideally the person should not be associated very strongly with a particular form, as he/she can then be seen to be evenhanded. Nevertheless he/she should have an arts background, with a technical knowledge of arts administration and government policy in other countries because we are coming closer and closer together internationally where the arts are concerned, particularly where funding is concerned. He/she must be a very good diplomat, who can represent both the Arts Council's own policy and current government policy in very positive ways.

Good communications skills will also be necessary, to represent the Arts Council to all its publics the arts community, the Government, and the media. He/she will need to be a good, sympathetic, and supportive listener, as well as a good business administrator, in order to juggle all the grant allocations to the innumerable arts organisations throughout, the country."

ROBERT BALLAGH, ARTIST: "Should there be an Arts Council at all? I have never been in favour of an Arts Council myself. If there is a fully fledged Minister and a fully fledged Department, with decisions about the arts being made at Government level, why an Arts Council as well? I was at a UNESCO conference on the arts in Japan some years ago and suddenly it dawned on me that the only countries in the world with arts councils were former British colonies. They are co-existent with the view of art as being something separate from life. There is a glut of infrastructure in the arts in Ireland, not so much art as arts administrators. My view is that the quality of the art is no better now than it was 20 or 30 years ago. I would prefer to see funding go directly to the artist, rather than the administration of the artist. All this renaissance talk recently is a bit dangerous. We should be a little more modest."