Cullen Defends the Arts

Martin Cullen, the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, appeared on the RTÉ Radio 1 show, Arts Tonight, on September 28.

He discussed with Vincent Woods future strategies for the Arts in Ireland, and stressed that he does not intend cutting the Artist's Tax Exemption, getting rid of Culture Ireland, or the Irish Film Board.

He promised to publish a recent DKM consultant report that indicates that the added value from the Arts was over €11.8 billion in 2008. He pointed out that Cultural Tourism is expected to grow by about 15% in the coming years, and added:

Why at a time when we have hard facts in front of us would we be undermining where we are world leaders? And we're not world leaders in many areas. But clearly in the whole area of artistic endeavour, in the general area of culture and arts, we are world leaders, and that's something that has to be minded and guarded.

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Cullen Defends the Arts

Martin Cullen, the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, appeared on the RTÉ Radio 1 show, Arts Tonight, on September 28.

He discussed with Vincent Woods future strategies for the Arts in Ireland, and stressed that he does not intend cutting the Artist's Tax Exemption, getting rid of Culture Ireland, or the Irish Film Board.

He promised to publish a recent DKM consultant report that indicates that the added value from the Arts was over €11.8 billion in 2008. He pointed out that Cultural Tourism is expected to grow by about 15% in the coming years, and added:

Why at a time when we have hard facts in front of us would we be undermining where we are world leaders? And we're not world leaders in many areas. But clearly in the whole area of artistic endeavour, in the general area of culture and arts, we are world leaders, and that's something that has to be minded and guarded.

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Interviews about the National Campaign for the Arts

Here is a video of interviews conducted by Darragh Doyle last week, upon the launch for the National Campaign for the Arts. It includes discussions with Tania Banotti, Irish Theatre Forum; Bill Whelan, Composer; Colm Toibín, Author; Anne Enright, Author; Donal Gleeson, Actor; Fiach Mac Conghail, Director of the Abbey Theatre; Lenny Abrahamson, Filmmaker; Loughlin Deegan, the Dublin Theatre Festival; Don Wycherly, Actor; Sarah Bolger, Actress.

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Interviews about the National Campaign for the Arts

Here is a video of interviews conducted by Darragh Doyle last week, upon the launch for the National Campaign for the Arts. It includes discussions with Tania Banotti, Irish Theatre Forum; Bill Whelan, Composer; Colm Toibín, Author; Anne Enright, Author; Donal Gleeson, Actor; Fiach Mac Conghail, Director of the Abbey Theatre; Lenny Abrahamson, Filmmaker; Loughlin Deegan, the Dublin Theatre Festival; Don Wycherly, Actor; Sarah Bolger, Actress.

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Art Can Make us Proud

The National Campaign for the Arts website has published the speech made by Roddy Doyle at the Theatre Forum / Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival event for Dublin TDs and Dublin City Councillors, which took place on September 24 2009.

It's called Art can make us feel proud of who we are, and in it Roddy lays out the case for how arts funding helped his career, and the career of those he worked with, to bring stories to Irish people about their lives.

Well-aimed support from the Arts Council, Culture Ireland, the Irish Film Board and from Dublin City Council can have, and does have, an enormous impact – sometimes years later. This week, one reason we feel proud of our city is because we come from the same place as Brendan Gleeson. I’m delighted – and very lucky. Because I saw – I experienced – Brendan acting in a play I wrote called BROWNBREAD. The play was produced by The Passion Machine, with support from the Arts Council, 22 years ago. I wrote it, Brendan acted in it, Paul Mercier directed it. At the risk of sounding arrogant, it was money well spent.

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Art Can Make us Proud

The National Campaign for the Arts website has published the speech made by Roddy Doyle at the Theatre Forum / Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival event for Dublin TDs and Dublin City Councillors, which took place on September 24 2009.

It's called Art can make us feel proud of who we are, and in it Roddy lays out the case for how arts funding helped his career, and the career of those he worked with, to bring stories to Irish people about their lives.

Well-aimed support from the Arts Council, Culture Ireland, the Irish Film Board and from Dublin City Council can have, and does have, an enormous impact – sometimes years later. This week, one reason we feel proud of our city is because we come from the same place as Brendan Gleeson. I’m delighted – and very lucky. Because I saw – I experienced – Brendan acting in a play I wrote called BROWNBREAD. The play was produced by The Passion Machine, with support from the Arts Council, 22 years ago. I wrote it, Brendan acted in it, Paul Mercier directed it. At the risk of sounding arrogant, it was money well spent.

Continue Reading...