ARTSCAPE:At first glance, the timing last week of an announcement that the Irish government was to immediately grant $3.5 million (€2.3 million) towards construction of a new Irish Arts Center in New York may have seemed a little off, writes Belinda McKeon. After all, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micháel Martin, confirmed the New York-bound funding boon just as his colleague, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan, was gearing up to deliver a budget which would cut, by millions, funding to agencies including the Arts Council and Culture Ireland.
Then again, in the current climate, such a significant investment in Irish arts can only be good news. The existing Irish Arts Center has, in its 37-years, created opportunities for many Irish artists and arts organisations to reach and build US audiences. In the proposed new, larger venue, such promotion and support can only increase.
The funding comes not from the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism but from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Emigrant Support Programme.
If investment in the diaspora may cause some eyebrows to raise in the wake of a budget which looked, to many, set to increase that diaspora, then the New York investment certainly chimes well with a new emphasis on cultural tourism and on the importance of Irish culture in boosting Ireland’s image abroad.That’s something the National Campaign for the Arts has worked hard to get across to government over the past six months.
Martin hinted that the value of investing in the New York project had become clear at the Global Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh, when was impressed by advocates for the importance of Irish culture in boosting the country’s image abroad.
Ireland’s contribution is one part of a funding jigsaw which also includes a $12 million site (€8.37 million) and an almost $8 million (€5.6 million) capital grant from the City of New York.
Aidan Connolly, executive director of the Irish Arts Center, called the collaboration “historic” and said that it would provide “enormous long-term economic benefit” to both the Irish government and the City of New York.
“New York offers the world’s most visible communications platform in one of Ireland’s most important overseas markets,” he said, “and Ireland clearly understands the huge value of this crucial investment in the Irish brand,” said Connolly.
There is no start date for construction of the new centre, but it’s likely to be at the centre’s existing location in midtown Manhattan. A number of Irish artists will be showcased there next month as part of Culture Ireland’s participation in APAP, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference.
WHILE THEcultural sector moves on from sighs of relief to making plans for slimmed back activity in 2010, Minister Martin Cullen's welcome assertion in these pages (before some of those involved had been informed, it seems) of brisk movement on plans begs some questions.
While the proposed move of the Abbey to the GPO has been welcomed by many, the confluence of National Theatre and nationalism, among other things, won’t please everyone.
And where in all this is the Abbey itself? Is it odd that neither director nor board has made any comment on the proposed and ever changing plans for its new home? Speculation continues about the mystery architect, who apparently made a model of the new Abbey at the GPO, which many people are dying to see. Interestingly, it could be a public-private deal, but, said the Minister, “it would be one of Ireland’s major cultural institutions, we couldn’t be calling it the Aviva GPO O’Connell Street or something like that!”
And while the barmy plan to amalgamate the galleries has been partially dropped, it’s still unclear whether there’s any justification for or benefit in merging the National Gallery and the Crawford. There is understood to be some resitance still within both galleries to a proposed merger.
One of the unfortunate results of the proposal mooted a year ago is the amount of time, energy and expense wasted at the galleries (and presumably in the department) on preparing for the ill-fated merger, which seemed to be progressing apace even though the Minister never expressed any enthusiasm for the project.
And there is surely a lot to be thrashed out within a very short time regarding a new national opera company emerging from the combined strengths of Opera Ireland and Opera Theatre Company, if plans are to make it in time for inclusion in next year’s Estimates.
While Opera Ireland has a substantial deficit, Opera Theatre Company (whose name was incorrectly garbled in this column last week) is the only solvent opera company in Ireland (as well as having the largest total audience due to its extensive tours) and has no need of bailing out. How the relationship between OI, OTC and the new company pans out will be crucial. Both existing national companies must be keen that their profile and legacy are not lost within a new structure.
Incidentally, the artists tax exemption, which was not mentioned in the Budget, is expected to remain in place with some adjustment for very high earners, to reflect a more equitable apportionment of the tax burden. It is understood the cap on earnings will be halved from €250,000 to €125,000, in line with other tax breaks.