The Social Democrats say every person in Ireland has a right to participate in arts and culture in their every day lives.
The party chose Temple Bar in Dublin to launch their policy on Arts and Culture.
Sarah Durkan, Social Democrats candidate for Dublin Bay South, said the country's economic future relies on the creativity of young people.
"We can still have a strong economy and support the arts. It's not a choice between one and the other."
Gary Gannon, Social Democrats candidate for Dublin Central, said Ireland's smart economy could be nurtured through incorporating the arts, giving us STEAM from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths).
The party says Dublin is losing cultural spaces and this needs to be addressed.
The Social Democrats would also like to introduce Drama and Theatre Studies as a Leaving Cert subject.
Mr Gannon said he had studied Drama in a FETAC course which gave him confidence.
He said he played Duncan in Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Mr Gannon said his party "is not ruling anyone in or out" in terms of coalition partners should the Social Democrats help form the next government.
He said if they go into coalition it will be about "what we can get", adding that it is not about personalities.
