“I am out in the world and the world is happening.”
These lines from poet Vona Groarke come to mind as audiences and artists ready themselves for a busy autumn season. Whether it’s in Clones, Clifden or Kilmore Quay, venues and festivals are resuming full operational levels following the brutal cessation caused by the pandemic. Every town and village has been seemingly en fete through the summer months with audiences and artists once more communing and connecting.
During the last bewildering years, our social contacts were rationed and we were denied the consolations of congregation. The arts create that welcome arena for us to re-engage, and this reunion between makers of art and the public is joyous to experience and observe.
Meanwhile, Irish artists continue to generate international headlines with significant success for Druid Theatre Company with Sonya Kelly’s play The Last Return in Edinburgh and the recent Booker shortlisting of Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These, to mention just two. While such international triumphs have become almost commonplace, it is always worth reflecting on the relative success of a population of our size.
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In this return to the presentation of live performance, some trends are becoming clear. Recent audience research conducted by Theatre Forum suggests that ticket sales in arts centres are at 20 per cent below pre-Covid levels. While the research finds that 84 per cent of previous ticket buyers have resumed attendance, it is likely that a significant proportion of these may attend less often.
Local arts
This can be attributed to significant shifts in commuting patterns and also to anxieties around cost-of-living issues. In this new scenario of reduced commuting times and frequency, the local arts centre will assume a far greater relevance in people’s lives.
There is a newfound appreciation for our localities, and arts centres and local arts organisations are more relevant than ever to communities, to those working from home or who use local working hubs. Friday, September 23rd, is Culture Night.
This shared national moment highlights all that exists on our doorsteps and is a creative, joyous and communal phenomenon. Last year 1.1 million people attended 1,400 entirely free and family-friendly events and that figure is likely to be exceeded this year, with many of these cultural institutions free to visit all year round.
[ Culture Night 2022: 25 things to see and doOpens in new window ]
Responsive, generous support from the Government and the allegiance of the public to Ireland’s artists has meant that the arts sector has not collapsed. However, it faces serious challenges and, if it is to remain fully intact, sustained and increased investment will be essential. Funding for the arts has risen significantly in recent years, which has been crucial in securing the future of Ireland’s artists, arts workers and organisations, and in making sure that the public has ready access to high-quality artistic work in all parts of Ireland. Building on this investment will ensure that audiences and artists are appropriately provided for as citizens of a society which sees cultural provision as a human right.
[ Hugh Linehan: Live cultural events are back. Now we just need audiencesOpens in new window ]
Two recent announcements are set to have a radical impact on Ireland’s artistic plane. The Basic Income for Artists is a once-in-a-generation intervention and represents a big leap forward; it dignifies the artistic profession and will have profound repercussions. The founding of a groundbreaking partnership between the Arts Council and Dublin Port to create a campus for artists at the Odlums Flour Mills points the way to further imaginative schemes and partnerships which will have benefit for the whole of society.
During the pandemic, it was often expressed that the live art experience cannot be replaced. For emerging artists who have missed out on many critical opportunities, access to a live audience is especially important and it is vital that arts organisations are adventurous and bold in their programming choices. For artists from under-represented backgrounds, it is essential that they are supported to present their work so that they can hone their craft and embark on successful and fulfilling careers. For the public, it is vital that ample opportunities exist to experience the highest quality of live art events. Investment in people and places is a priority.
Repeatedly, the arts have shown that they can greatly help to animate towns and cities. As we begin the task of reimagining our places, it is clear that cultural activity will have a vital part to play.
The arts carry an enormous power to deepen the ties that bind us together as a society, first because art is best appreciated with other people and, second, because art provokes us to think about what is truly important in life. All great art demands that we suspend ordinary living and be in the moment. This suspension of time makes for a very powerful feeling and it’s one that is increasingly available to all of us through our theatres, galleries, concert halls, festivals, arts centres, cinemas and libraries.
Culture Night offers an excellent opportunity to experience what Ireland’s artistic community has to offer all year round.
Maureen Kennelly is director of the Arts Council