Radical change called for at Arts Council of Ireland

An independent review of the Arts Council of Ireland has recommended a radical overhaul of its policies and practices. Whilst acknowledging that the judgment of the Arts Council has been “expert” in its support of “so many artists and so much excellent art”, the largely critical report has deemed it less concerned with “supporting the arts” than “funding the professional arts sector”. Significant human and financial resources will have to be invested and “hard choices” made, if it is to become “a development agency for the arts focussed on the public good”.

Two key areas of policy deficit were identified: poor ‘connectivity’ between the arts and wider civil society and policy, such as education, health and tourism; and congenital overlap between the organisations and services funded by the council. The review also criticised a lack of focus on the public, which has led to the neglect of amateur arts, and engagement and participation work, particularly with hard-to-reach audiences. A concern was expressed that the distribution of funds “may no longer represent a democratic impulse,” and cited the number and longevity of funding relationships that appear to be “determined by precedent and history”.

The review makes six overarching proposals, central to which is that the Arts Council must become “focussed on the public good”. It recommends drawing up explicit policies and strategies with defined objectives and outcomes, including a spatial strategy that defines its national, regional and local arts provision. Recommended changes to investment policy include clarifying its strategy and introducing funding agreements that govern the outcomes it expects from investment; revising and strengthening its strategic partnership with local government; and extending its existing system of peer assessment for securing artistic quality to its main grant programmes. While stating that “change cannot be contingent on ‘more money’ becoming available”, investment does need to be rebalanced, with the establishment of a research and information programme a major priority.

The review was conducted by a steering group composed of twelve members, seven of whom were external to the Arts Council. It was prompted by former Chairman Pat Moylan who acknowledged that, following the recession, a “fault-line” had developed between “the model of arts provision that was created a decade ago and the resources that are currently available”. Current Chair Sheila Pratschke welcomed the report, and said: “The Arts Council will examine and discuss the Report in depth in the coming months.”