ArtScape: 'I belong to the country. If I can do any good, I will, and if I can't I will resign." The words of writer John McGahern in NUI, Galway, this week before he handed over his literary archive to the university, writes Lorna Siggins.
McGahern was sitting in the president's drawingroom, in the company of Dr Riana O'Dwyer of the Department of English, and talking about his recent appointment to the Arts Council. "I've met and like John O'Donoghue," he said, of the Minister for Arts, who is responsible for his nomination - one which comes at a difficult time for the arts. While the council has frozen the multi-annual funding scheme - and McGahern clearly favours its continuation - he argued that its suspension was for a good reason. "One cannot put people under false illusions - theatres and other organisations have to be able to plan. One has to be open and honest with people. The Arts Council cannot promise to give money it doesn't have."
Even as he referred to his liking for the Minister, this writer wondered how his late friend, Dick Walsh, former political editor and assistant editor of The Irish Times, would feel about that. McGahern has written an introduction to a collection of Dick Walsh's articles which is due to be published by Townhouse. "Geraldine Kennedy, your editor, has written the afterword, I understand," McGahern added. "So Dick is sandwiched between myself and Geraldine Kennedy . . . he'd like that!" Walsh's writings are "as fresh today as when they were written", McGahern noted. "I was very surprised at how alive they are." And he recalled one of the journalist's favourite, cutting observations. "I'd be sitting with him in silence. He'd laugh then, and say: 'Lovely people, plenty of money, no manners'."
Fresh Eyre
It'll be interesting to see if Garry Hynes's time at the helm of our own national theatre will come up today in her lunchtime session (1-2 p.m.) with former British National Theatre director Richard Eyre, as part of Critical Engagement at Liberty Hall. They will be talking about his new book, National Service, as a late addition to the week's conference, which comes to a head with this weekend's symposium. The other contributors to Conditions of Criticism conference, hosted by Irish Theatre Magazine (in association with the Arts Council/Critical Voices, Dublin Theatre Festival and Temple Bar Properties), include Ric Knowles, Joyce McMillan and Freddie Roken. www.irishtheatremagazine.com
Scully lights up Limerick
Next Tuesday sees the unveiling at Limerick University of Wall of Light, a monumental new sculpture by Sean Scully, writes Aidan Dunne, Art Critic. He is known as a painter rather than a sculptor, but many of his paintings have a formidable, sculptural presence and Wall of Light is essentially a sculptural treatment of one of the dominant themes of his recent paintings. There is an outstanding example of the paintings in IMMA's collection. In the sculpture, huge blocks of black and white stone form a massive grid pattern.
Scully was born in Dublin and, though he currently divides his time between Germany and New York, he identifies strongly with Ireland. His Limerick project marks one significant consolidation of the presence of his work in Ireland. Another is his donation of a substantial body of work, including a major group of paintings, prints and a significant amount of documentary material, to the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery. This gift was contingent on the gallery having an appropriate space to display some of the work. For a while it looked as if the plans, by Gilroy MacMahon, for a much needed extension to the gallery, on the site of the National Ballroom to the rear of nos 20 and 21 Parnell Square, were in jeopardy, but now it seems they are back on track. The proposed extension features a space designated for Scully's work. It could well be that with this significant addition to the Hugh Lane's collection, the artist helped to increase the moral pressure on the Dublin City Council in relation to the extension.
Online funding glitch
Many arts organisations have spent the last while enmeshed in the complex business of putting together Arts Council funding applications - the closing date was yesterday. Those on multi-annual funding had to make annual applications at short notice when this funding scheme was recently suspended due to uncertain Government finance. An additional difficulty reported by some organisations was that while making the application online, as encouraged by the council, they found the online forms would only allow a limited number of words in particular categories, and saving application information while working on it was difficult. The council says that there were some difficulties with filing online because of the big increase in volume of applicants, that it had an IT specialist working on it, and it got back to any organisations who reported difficulties. The council has noted the feedback and will be evaluating the system internally and externally.
And furthermore . . .
It made for a novel approach in looking for commercial sponsorship . . in the programme for the Gare St Lazare production of Michael Harding's one-man show, Swallow, instead of a general appeal for support, there's a wish-list, with costings. The items on the list vary, and are practical - an administrator's salary or volunteer, computer equipment, backing to put The Beckett Trilogy on CD, for a TV production of Eh Joe, and for its next production. And there's the promise that donations of €2,500 or more buy a performance of Beckett's Molly by Conor Lovett at home or work - now there's an interesting party piece. Swallow, directed by Judy Hegarty-Lovell, is at the Hugh Lane and ends today (1 p.m. and 4 p.m.).
Next May, the Royal Irish Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, under James Cavanagh, participates in the Eighth European Youth Music Festival hosted by Malmö and Copenhagen. The 80-strong group of young musicians takes part in the opening and closing ceremonies alongside more than 10,000 other young European musicians, and also performs Sibelius's Second Symphony. The visit is part of the RIAM's new season line-up, which also includes Con Anima, the college's annual charity event (in support of the Society for Poor Peoples Development) in the State Apartments of Dublin Castle on December 2nd; a series of concerts in Donegal, Galway, Wexford, Tipperary and Dublin as part of the 2003 permanent tsb High Achiever Awards; and a recital by the acclaimed British brass quintet, thegoldensection and percussionist Kevin Hathway (October 20th at the Katherine Brennan Hall of the RIAM).
Cork Opera House's agm this week announced a loss of €178,000 for the year ending March 30th (compared with a loss of €56,000 the previous year). This loss comes despite an increase in turnover to €6.1 million (up 39 per cent on €44.4 million), with 566 performances (compared with 462) and a 22 per cent increase in attendances (242,000). The main contributor to the loss was the subcontracting of the COH box office to the Central Box Office (which cost €193,000) and a 73 per cent increase in the cost of the company's insurance premium.
Speaking at the meeting, executive director Gerry Barnes said that while he was happy with the balance of programming and public support, there is a crisis in the venue sector following a 13 per cent cut in AC revenue funding in the past year. "This has been increasingly felt in the remaining months of 2003 when the house was forced to go dark for many weeks on account of the reduction in touring shows and revenue funds." He pointed out that AC support was now 3 per cent of turnover and in-house fundraising represents 6 per cent. "Furthermore, the Opera House contributes €487,000 in taxes to the Revenue Commissioners and local authority rates. The company provides employment for 91 in-house staff, stimulates significant levels of employment for touring companies while collecting and contributing back €348,000 in royalties and performing rights to artists whose work is copyrighted."