...traditional arts news...

The Arts Council has announced that it intends implementing a new three-year initiative for the traditional arts beginning with an allocation of €3 million in 2006, a figure which will increase in 2007 and 2008. This 2006 figure is a four-fold increase...

The Arts Council has announced that it intends
implementing a new three-year initiative for the traditional arts beginning with an allocation of €3 million in 2006, a figure which will increase in 2007 and 2008. This 2006 figure is a four-fold increase on the level of funding in 2005 (€646,240)

Traditional Arts Specialist Liz Doherty stated that the aim of this initiative is to empower the traditional arts community to develop and sustain its activities. She added that the 3-year initiative will have as its core values:
• Respect for the integrity of the traditional arts and artists.
• Standards of excellence as understood by the traditional arts community.
• Recognition of the value of the key players already working to the benefit of the artist and arts practice.
• Understanding of transmission (the passing on of such tangibles as style and repertoire, along with the intangibles of the integrity of the tradition) as a central element within arts practice.
• Recognition of traditional arts as having an important contribution to make to contemporary life in Ireland.

Under the initiative, the Council decided that it will aim to:
• Adequately resource existing organisations and events to allow them stabilise and develop according to their own policies to the benefit of the artist and arts practice;
• Recognise that not all aspects of traditional arts may fit comfortably within Arts Council structures and adopt a flexible approach to allow for independence where appropriate, by developing new funding initiatives to enable the traditional arts community to engage with the Arts Council, i.e encourage proposal-based initiatives (i.e. no application forms);
• Develop and support networks between existing organisations, events and venues to maximise potential nationally and internationally; and
• Establish the Arts Council as an advocate for traditional arts in education, broadcasting, royalties and rights for artists.
Visit www.artscouncil.ie for more information

p.s.
One of the most significant recommendations in the Arts Council report on the traditional arts, Towards a Policy for the Traditional Arts (September 2004), was for the Arts Council to develop an award/recognition system for traditional musicians who have made an outstanding contribution to Irish cultural life. The report recommended that either the membership of Aosdána be broadened to include traditional musicians, or an alternative recognition system be created. However, at a meeting on May 3rd, Aosdána elected eight new members from the worlds of classical music, literature and the visual arts. Not one of the twenty-three nominations was a traditional musician. If Aosdána members are not going to take the initiative themselves, then it is up to the Arts Council to set the ball rolling.

Published on 1 July 2005

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