17 September 2010

OF ACTION

Friday September 17, 2010 was the National Campaign for the Arts’ first ever National Day of Action.  On this day and the succeeding days, arts workers in constituencies throughout the country met with over half of Ireland’s sitting TDs. They put before them the campaign’s demands regarding the maintenance of existing levels of funding to the arts and the importance of making significant new funding available, as well as raising additional local arts issues.  The list of 80 TDs met included An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, the Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan and the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mary Hanafin.

A series of events around the country were also organized which aimed at further highlighting to the government and general public, the important role the arts plays in the nation’s economic, social and civic recovery.   These events included:

·     A dance outside the Dáil which saw professional and amateur dancers come together to perform a 3minute dance piece outside the Department of An Taoiseach.

·    A poetry reading organized by the Irish Writers Centre in the Garden of Remembrance in honour and recognition of all the dead generations of writers who contributed to the creation of our state and the formation of our national identity. The poet, Liam Mac Uistin, read his poem that is inscribed on the back wall of the Garden and that encapsulates the spirit of this commemorative shrine.

·    A celebration of the arts in The Back Loft, Dublin 8, entitled ‘The Thing Is’, after Peter Sirr’s poem of the same name, and which included music, readings, short films and various other fun stuff.

·    A public conversation at The Pavilion Theatre, in Dun Laoghaire, which involved three leading artists living or working in the Dun Laoghaire area, interviewed by emerging youth performers and arts enthusiasts.

·    A performance event in Galway City which saw TDs from the West and East of the City teaming up with well-known Galway artists to become ‘artists for a day’.

·    A debate about the value of the arts which ran as part of Portumna Shorelines Festival.

·    A concert of music and live arts at the Solstice Arts Centre in Navan.

·    An Open Stage event involving local artists at the Source Arts Centre in North Tipperary

·    An event entitled ‘The Magical Moment Tree’ organized by the Clonmel Junction Festival in conjunction with other cultural providers in South Tipperary. This involved members of the public of all ages and backgrounds filling out a card, which was then posted on a ‘tree’ in the Common Thread Café, and which highlighted a particular magical Arts moment they personally experienced.