Arts Council of Northern Ireland urges arts sector to respond to government consultation

IFACCA/Artshub, 26 April 2005,United Kingdom

Following the announcement of the Review of Public Administration consultation, Arts Council of Northern Ireland has urged the arts sector to respond and has convened a series of workshops that will provide an opportunity for the arts sector to explore and discuss the proposals outlined in the Review document, and put forward their recommendations for the future administration of the arts in Northern Ireland. Rosemary Kelly, Chairman of the Arts Council, said: “The Review of Public Administration signals major changes to the delivery of public services in Northern Ireland…It is vital that the Arts Council accurately represents and reflects the collective view on the major issues that affect our artists and organisations, and that the value of this to our life in Northern Ireland is understood by everyone. At present the arts in Northern Ireland receive by far the lowest levels of government spending per head of population across the UK and Ireland. It is essential that the sector seizes this chance to make itself heard, and to impress upon government its unique contribution to the Northern Ireland society and the economy.” Following an initial meeting on the 21st April to launch the response to the Review, five workshops, chaired by an independent facilitator, will take place across the country. “We are at a critical moment in time when the importance of the arts to the citizen is coming into sharp relief”, said Nick Livingston, Director of Strategic Development at the Arts Council. “Throughout its 60-year history the Arts Council has been the principal agency for developing the arts and has supported and sustained artists and the creative arts. The Review holds important implications for the Arts, not least for the long established principle that funding decisions are best done at ‘arm’s length’ from government.”