Artists stage day of action

A series of events have taken place throughout the country to mark the National Day of Action for the Arts.

A dance mob was organised outside Government Buildings where groups including the Machusla Dance Group among others staged a performance to Horslips' Dearg Doom.

Those involved in the arts have engaged with 80 different politicians to remind them of arts and culture to Ireland.

Among them was the Taoiseach Brian Cowen who was visited by a delegation of people involved in arts in his own constituency.

The campaign claim that Mr Cowen reassured them that the importance of the arts to Irish society will be reflected in the forthcoming budget.

In a separate engagement, a wreath was laid at the Garden of Remembrance to all the writers who had participated in the fight for Irish independence.

The chairman of the Irish Writers Centre Jack Harte said at a time of national crisis, Irish people had to look inwards to discover their soul through writing, music, painting, sculpture, drama and films.

"Writers and artists will not provide the country with facile solutions to economic problems. What they can provide is a vision of where we want to go," he said.

The poet Liam Mac Uistin read from his poem he wrote which is inscribed on the walls of the Garden.

Tania Banotti, the secretary of the campaign and a long time opponent of cuts to the arts budget, said the national day was not meant as a political event, but many arts organisations were "hanging by their fingernails" at the moment.

In Galway most local politicians participated in the event to mark the arts including the former Mayor of Galway and Fine Gael TD Padraig McCormack who did a juggling act and Fianna Fáil Galway East TD Michael Kitt played the accordion.

Labour TD Michael D Higgins read a poem from his own work and Minister for Social Protection Éamon Ó Cuív joined poet Colette Nic Aodha to read a piece of her work.