Dear Editor,

I read with interest the article on funding for opera written by Roger Doyle in the Sept/Oct issue of JMI. Mr Doyle opens his article with the sentence ‘Arts Council funding for opera currently eats up almost half of the entire budget for music, and opera companies are looking for a lot more.’ He later states ‘Opera’s expensive production costs ultimately limit funding for practically every other music activity in this country….’ This implies that opera is considered as part of the music budget which is not, nor was it ever, the case. It is not in competition with music and has always enjoyed separate status under the Arts Council’s funding structures.

Until 1999, Opera was managed as a separate budget area, as was each of the eight art form disciplines considered by the Arts Council (Architecture, Dance, Film, Literature, Music, Opera, Drama, Visual Arts). In 1999, the Arts Council adopted a new approach to grant-aid, expressing expenditure in terms of grant programmes and sub-programmes rather than in art form divisions as was the previous practice. For example, production companies across all art form areas are now considered under a single programme likewise, festivals, resource organisations, etc. However, this does not negate the differences and particular development needs of each art form area. The 2002-2006 Arts Plan contains strategy plans for each of the eight disciplines. Mr Doyle quotes from the Opera section of the plan in his article.

The Arts Council this year completed a major review of opera in Ireland. A report written by Dr Pamela Smith has been submitted to the Council and will inform developments in this area.

Thank you for your attention and continued success with the Journal.

Gaye Tanham
Dance and Opera Officer
The Arts Council, Dublin 2

Roger Doyle replies:

I was well aware of the situation with regard to the separate status of opera and music within Arts Council funding structures when I wrote the article. But honestly, no one is going to convince me that, if opera funding were increased to 4 million euros, reductions would not be felt across the board, or likewise if it were reduced to 2 million, there would not ultimately be more to spread around. The Arts Council is a living organism.

Can we hold on to the issues at stake here? Opera receives 2.78 million euros, all other musical activity in this country receives 3.2 million euros. There is a strong lobby from the opera community that their budgets be substantially increased.

The Arts Council should be informed by recommendations made on the ground as well as those made by Dr Pamela Smith.