A continuing reluctance to take the arts seriously in Ireland, while artistic achievement is what we are best-known for globally; unimaginative and tokenistic arts in education; the bewildering "language of corporatism, the language of Tesco" used by the Arts Council; the difficulties of making a living working in the arts in Ireland.
These were just some of the topics discussed in lively exchanges at a forum on the arts, organised by the Labour Party, at the Mansion House on Saturday.
It was an appropriate title for the weekend before Bloomsday - "Silence, Exile and Funding: The Artist and the Public Purse". The forum, which was attended by over 100 delegates from the arts sector, was chaired by deputy leader Ms Liz McManus and addressed by Mr Jack Wall, the party's spokesman on the arts, as well as a number of arts professionals. There were many contributions from the floor, from people involved in theatre, community arts, music, literature. Ms Lynne Parker, artistic director of Rough Magic, said "we need to get our act together as artists" to alter the public perception of the sector. She pointed out how the image of Ireland internationally is strongly associated with artists, yet in reality artists have no status here. The presentation of the sector as a vibrant and important part of the community was sadly lacking, and art was "not just another kind of business".
Composer Mr Raymond Deane proposed the disbanding of the present Arts Council and said it should be involved in the production and dissemination of art - "go do the job and show some humility". Ms Nuala Hayes, actor and storyteller, spoke eloquently about how difficult it is to make a living as an artist in Ireland and how politics needs to take on the issue of how many artists live below the poverty line.
Addressing the meeting, Labour spokesman Mr Jack White said that vision and a "joined-up" view of the arts was badly needed, along with a degree of certainty in funding. Mr Declan McGonigal (City Arts Centre), spoke about how the arts were not an antidote to reality but a way of connecting with it, how there was much talk about the amount of money that goes into the arts, as if funding goes into the arts and stops, whereas in fact it flows through and back into society. He identified the disconnection between the arts and society as problematic.
Composer Ms Siobhan Cleary spoke about the impoverished state of musical education in Ireland, and how at no stage in our educational system do pupils have instrumental tuition. She also drew on her own experiences as a young composer to illustrate how difficult it is to train or make a career in music here. She criticised the Arts Council for cutting funding of new music composition by 75 per cent, and compared Ireland unfavourably with the support that Nordic countries and the Netherlands provide for creative artists.
Willie White, artistic director of the Project Arts Centre, said there was little public outcry when the arts were cut severely in December.
"I don't get a sense of parents wondering about the implications of cuts for the future of their children or of the wider community protesting at the undermining of their cultural life." While lip service was paid to art, the arts and artists are not valued here, and little account is taken of the financial value of the arts return to Ireland.
He suggested that theatre and other art forms should be part of the national curriculum, and promoted as a cultural entitlement for citizens.
Film producer Ms Marina Hughes pointed out how the film board narrowly missed being axed in the recent Budget.
