The Arts Council and Local Government held a major joint conference today in Dublin Castle, exploring how public investment in the arts can help to build sustainable and cohesive local communities.
Over 280 representatives from public bodies and arts organisations are attending Places Matter, which features top speakers such as international culture expert Professor Geoffrey Crossick, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney, and TCD Economics Professor John O'Hagan, as well as a number of noteworthy representatives from the extended Irish arts community, including Louise Lowe from Anu Productions and writer and performer Emmet Kirwan.
Let's have a more grown-up conversation about how we evaluate "cultural value". @geoffcrossick @artscouncil_ie #PlacesMatter17
— Annette Nugent (@annettenugent1) January 12, 2017
The event marks the inaugural conference of the Arts Council and Local Government of Ireland, and is one of the actions arising from a historic 10-year agreement recently signed by both organisations to work more strategically together.
Somebody called @axisBallymun Ballymun's sitting room a few years ago. One of the best compliment we've ever got #placesmatter17
— Mark O'Brien (@obrienmark) January 12, 2017
The conference also aims to build on the recent developments such as Culture 2025, Creative Ireland and the 1916 Centenary Programme and to explore how both sectors can chart a way forward to further imbed cultural and artistic development into policy and investment priorities.
Looks like Noeline Kavanagh @MacnasIreland is an inspiration @artscouncil_ie #placesmatter17 which is no surprise. Live it, Love it, be it!
— Jen Coppinger (@jencoppinger) January 12, 2017
"Following the centenary year, when cultural expression and citizenship were critical to the national response and programming of the commemorations, the conference will place the citizen at the centre of the discussion around Ireland's culture future," said Arts Council Chairperson Shelia Pratschke.
"Through Places Matter, we want to take a fresh look at demographics, geography, and access to new technologies, as well as the changing role of the artist in the light of new practices: each of these changes can, and will, impact on people, no matter where they live."
.@EmmetKirwan's intervention at #placesmatter17 on class, dissidence, politics and ownership is too on 🔥 to contain in a tweet.
— Kris Nelson (@krisantonym) January 12, 2017
Minister for Housing, Community Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney, added: "Arts and culture play a critical role in building bridges and bringing people together in a sustainable, cohesive way. To ensure that local communities can reap the benefits of investment in the sector, we must better understand what we mean when we talk about the value of the arts, and most importantly, how we measure its impact on society. Today's conference is an excellent opportunity to kickstart a conversation on these issues."
Creative Ireland (Clár Éire Ildánach) is the government's ambitious legacy programme for Ireland 2016, a five year initiative set to run from 2017 until 2022 - the project aims to build on the achievements of the successful Ireland 2016 programme, the centrepiece of this programme is a new annual Culture Day, to be known as Cruinniú na Cásca, to be held nationwide on Easter Monday every year.
