Campaigning for the Arts |
An Extra £26 Million to Turnaround Future for the Arts
In January 2007, to coincide with the launch of its new five year arts strategy, the Arts Council called on government for parity of arts funding with the rest of the UK and Ireland. This represents a spending increase in Northern Ireland from £6.13 to £10 per head of population.
Just two months later, the government announced that arts funding in Northern Ireland will drop by a further £4.55 million because Lottery arts proceeds are to be diverted to the 2012 Olympic Games.
To compensate for the reduction of Lottery income, the arts in Northern Ireland now requires increased government spending of £11.55 per head of population
(An Extra £26 million over three years)
With this money, we can ensure that our artists don’t just survive, but have room to grow and add value to the Northern Ireland economy. Click here for more
Latest News
16 January 2008
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland met with Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness on Monday 14th January to reinforce the case for increased funding for the arts in Northern Ireland. For more information click here
10 December 2007
Northern Ireland ’s arts sector, supported by the Arts Council, today organized the Keep Our Arts Alive rally in a bid to save the arts and to improve the allocation contained within the Draft Budget 2008-2011, currently out for public consultation and which closes on 4th January 2008. For more information click here.
5 December 2007
Arts Council met with the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee, 28th November 2007, to discuss the draft Budget and consequences for the sector. A separate meeting followed with David McNarry MLA, Deputy Chairman of the CAL Committee.
3 December 2007
KEEP OUR ARTS ALIVE RALLY
Monday 10th December 2007, 10.30am
Stormont, Belfast
The arts sector is calling all artists, arts groups and supporters to gather at Carson’s statue at Stormont on Monday 10th December 2007 at 10.30am, to make a public call for increased arts funding. For more information click here.
28 November 2007
Keep Our Arts Alive website is launched
Keepourartsalive is a campaign by the arts sector and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to improve the outcome for the arts through the NI Draft Budget 2008-2011 public consultation phase, which closes on 4th January 2008. To visit the 'Keep Our Arts Alive' website, click here
27 November 2007
Arts Council issues guidance on responding to draft Budget click here
16 November 2007
Dates announced for Public Consultation Meetings on Draft Budget 2008-2011 click here
8 November 2007
Further detail emerges on Arts Budget 2008-2011 click here
25 October 2007
Arts Council issues statement on the Draft Budget 2008/11. For more information click here.
19 October 2007
Arts Council open letter urges sector to participate fully in upcoming public consultation on Draft Priorities and Budget 2008-2011. For more information click here.
17 October
Assembly supports motion for more Arts Funding. Click here.
15 October
Arts Council meets Arts Minister in advance of CSR announcement. Click here.
9 October
Alliance Party motion proposing increased arts funding is passed by NI Executive. Click here.
12 September 2007
Minister Edwin Poots replies to assembly questions. Click here
7 August 2007
The Arts Council has held a series of in-depth meetings with the Special Advisers to the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and the Finance Minister, to discuss the Comprehensive Spending Review and the important contribution the arts are making to the process of Northern Ireland’s social and economic development.
22 June 2007
Arts Minister meets with the Arts Council (22 June 2007)
Edwin Poots MLA, Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, paid his first formal visit to the Arts Council. Meeting with the Chairman, Chief Executive, members of the Council and staff, the Minister listened attentively to the Council’s update on recent developments and on funding issues impacting on the sector. The meeting was genial and constructive, and the Minister was receptive to the issues raised by members of the Council.
21 June 2007
Arts Council meets with Chair of Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure (21 June 2007)
Following the presentation by the Arts Council to the CAL Committee on May 24th, the Chair of the CAL Committee, Barry McElduff, met on June 21st with the Arts Council’s Chairman, Chief Executive and Director of Strategic Development to consider in greater detail the funding pressures on the arts sector, the proposals set out in a bid document developed by ACNI for the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007, and opportunities to raise these issues with other Northern Ireland departments.
Mr McIlduff agreed that there was now a good level of awareness of the convincing case for the arts, and reinforced the importance of feeding into the Priorities and Budgets document using arguments that demonstrate how the arts can contribute to the emerging themes of the interim Programme for Government 2007/2008 and the longer-term ambitions of the PfG document. He also observed that there was increasing recognition of the importance of arts projects to Health and Education, and suggested that the Arts Council draws attention to the legacy of special initiatives such as the Creative Youth Partnerships to illustrate the high value-added in terms of educational gain, confidence-building, literacy and skills development. The Arts Council will produce a summary of its Comprehensive Spending Review proposal, tailored to feed into the planning processes and priorities of the other key spending departments – Health, Education, Social Development, Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
14 June 2007
Secretary of State to meet arts organisations – Tuesday, 19 June 2007:
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP, has offered to meet a number of arts organisations to discuss issues surrounding the Olympics and the Lottery. The offer of a briefing stemmed from a meeting with the Secretary of who suggested that it would be desirable for arts organisations to receive information from the Culture Secretary first-hand. Andrew Whyte, Communications Director, Arts Council England will also take part and be on hand to answer questions.
The briefing will be held at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport offices. The event is limited to a maximum of 50 people: organisations may send only one representative: names submitted to DCMS in advance.
5 June 2007
ACNI hosts meeting of UK Arts Councils advocacy directors (5 June, 2007)
Nick Livingston, Director of Strategic Development at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland hosted a meeting of UK Arts Councils advocacy directors (5 June, 2007) to discuss common lines that might be taken, e.g. networking opportunities; the revised timetable for CSR2007; the Arts in Parliament Day (and what we might do to alert MPs from the devolved administrations to these events) and further ideas or common points regarding the response to the pre-legislative stage consultation on the Lottery (draft Statutory Instrument).
24 May 2007
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland this week presented the case for increased funding for the arts in Northern Ireland to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure.
Roisin McDonough , Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland said, “The Arts Council was warmly welcomed by the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure. They were responsive to the case for increased funding for the arts and recognized the significant contribution that the arts make to the economic growth of Northern Ireland. The group also pledged to support the Arts Council with their case for more realistic investment in the arts in Northern Ireland.”
“The Arts Council has a compelling case to make and we will continue to press a strong case for the arts and the need for a positive settlement in this autumn’s public spending review.”
Mr Barry McElduff, Chairperson of the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure said that he was delighted to receive a presentation from the Arts Council. Mr McElduff said, “The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure was delighted to receive a presentation from the Arts Council. The Committee is well aware that the arts is under - funded, and with the many competing bids unfortunately is usually well down the list for allocation of additional funding. Members’ are very supportive of the work of the Arts Council, and in particular the allocation of additional funding for the arts within local communities. As a committee we will be supporting the Council in their bid for increased funding”.
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland presented the case for increased funding for the arts in Northern Ireland to Arts Minister and Lagan Valley MLA, Edwin Poots (2nd May 2007). Click here for more
Invest in Inspiration Campaign for more funding for the arts launched on Wed 25th April 2007 with rally in Belfast City Centre. Click here for more
Dan Gordon at the launch of Invest in Inspiration
Arts Sector Faces "Bleakest Year in a Decade"
The Arts Council has had its budget frozen by government for the third successive year, leaving Northern Ireland’s arts organisations to face another difficult year ahead.
Coupled with the serious decline in Lottery income levels, the sector faces its bleakest year in a decade.
“The success of our bid to the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review will mean a ‘make-or-break’ difference to our artists and arts organisations.”
– Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Ten Great Reasons for Funding the Arts
Just think what we could achieve with £11.55 for every person…
What Can you Do?
Sign up at the Invest in Inspiration Campaign ( click here for more )
What Is the Arts Council Doing?
Launch of Creative Connections
At the launch of Creative Connections, in Januray 2007, Arts Council Chairman Rosemary Kelly said,
"Delivering on this Five Year Strategy will require Government to invest in arts and culture in Northern Ireland in a way which provides parity of treatment with other parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Our request to Government is to raise the per capita spend on the arts from £6 to £10, which is an increase of approximately £20m for the 2008 to 2011 funding horizon."
Just two months after we launched our five year arts plan, the Government announced that it is diverting Lottery proceeds to fund the 2012 Olympic Games.
We are now asking government to compensate for these additional funding cuts by increasing mainstream arts funding by An Extra £26 million - rather than the £20m figure calculated in January - for the 2008 funding horizon.
Performers at the launch of Creative Connections at the Grand Opera House
Bid for Increased Arts Funding through the Comprehensive Spending Review
The Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) in Northern Ireland takes place in the context of the ongoing reform of public administration which is bringing about unprecedented changes in the structures for the delivery of public services across central and local government.
The Arts Council has submitted a bid for increased funding for the arts as part of the CSR process.
The executive summary may be downloaded in Rich Text or PDF format.
Forum for Local Government and the Arts
The FLGA recently invited local political parties to express their views on the arts in its Election 2007 Newsletter.
Click here to download the newsletter in PDF format or click here to visit FLGA website
The Arts Council continues to press the case strongly for the arts on behalf of the sector. We meet with Government Ministers, Members of Parliament, MLAs, Local Councillors and other key decision makers.
