A chara, - How angry and patronised I felt when I read Dermot McLaughlin's letter on December 15th. It was ironic that the music officer of the Arts Council offered the parameters of how he justifies the council's support towards contemporary music, three years after the council withdrew its support from the Project New Music Series.
From 1993 to 1995, Project Arts Centre advocated, commissioned and presented contemporary music concerts in Dublin. The concerned "sector" supported our venture which led to a vibrant debate and public support for these concerts. If the council's music officer had attended any of these concerts, he would have heard the work of critical Irish and international composers and musicians.
However, the Arts Council didn't respond in any generous way towards this exciting development, and in fact withdrew funding for bureaucratic reasons. This led to the existing "stagnation" which Dermot McLaughlin describes and disillusioned this particular, passionate advocate. - Is mise,
Director, Project Arts Centre, 39 East Essex Street, Dublin 2.