A crossroads for Irish culture

ARTSCAPE:WHERE TO NOW for the arts department, having lost a Minister and with a question mark over the Government's entire portfolio divvy-up? There's plenty of awareness of the importance of culture and the "creative industries", and their role in the (cringe at the overused term) smart economy, the central importance of cultural tourism (the only bright light on our tourism horizon) and in terms of our international reputation.

Mystifying, then, the rumours that arts may become a junior ministry rather than have new partners in a senior one. (Though tourism has been a happy bedfellow because of the cultural tourism ticket; pity to split that marriage, surely.) Education, community and finance have all been thrown about as possible pairings, but there’s some stronger talk that Arts may find itself within the Department of the Taoiseach (echoes of the Haughey-Tony Cronin days, perhaps), and while there is some prestige to such an attachment, it is a backward step, and the lack of a voice at Cabinet would be very bad news indeed. But surely it’s all still to play for.

Martin Cullen had a relatively short tenure at the Department, but seemed to work well with people, have a grasp of issues, and an enthusiasm for the brief. Aside from the obvious personal loss for him leaving public life, the pity is that he wasn’t in place longer, to see some plans come to fruition. Most of the achievements of his term comprised a degree of protection for what was in place – retaining the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland when they were under threat, the retention of the artists’ tax exemption (though the much-needed new guidelines are still in limbo) and, significantly, the retention and extension, to 2012, of Section 481 relief for film. The establishment of a new national opera company is unfortunately positioned on the cusp of his departure, but you never know: Cullen is still in place until there’s a reshuffle, and word is that an interim board for the new company is being finalised; there could well be an announcement about an opera board, its budget and other matters, next week.

In the meantime, Arts Council chairwoman Pat Moylan said: “I am sorry to see him go. Minister Cullen has been a real friend to the Arts Council and the arts. He saw the potential of the arts as Ireland’s greatest shopfront to the world and was a forceful advocate for smart investment in the arts. Farmleigh, in particular, was a tour-de-force. He showed great respect to the artists he met and had a genuine love of the arts, especially opera.” The Minister of State, Martin Mansergh, paid tribute to him for his “vindication of the arts in difficult financial times as an integral part of the smart economy and all the employment that goes with it”.

Mansergh was speaking at the launch of the 40th KBC Music in Great Houses Festival. There was an infectious note of optimism there from artistic director Ciara Higgins (who has been around for only a tiny proportion of those 40 years) and much fun from others lauding her “team”, aka general manager Laurie Cearr. For the year that was in it, two of the original team were back: a founder of the first festival, the gregarious David Laing, and sparkly-eyed Desmond Guinness, whose Castletown House was a venue for the first festival; now in the care of the OPW, it has consistently been a venue for a festival that has a magical combo – world-class Irish and international chamber musicians in very special settings.

This year’s festival (June 12-19) opens and closes, appropriately, in Castletown, with French ensemble Quatuor Ébène and Quatuor Ysaye, respectively. In between are Latvian violinist, Baiba Skride and Danish cellist Jan Vogler in Beaulieu House, Drogheda, later joined by Lauma Skride, tenor Robin Tritschler at Emo Court, pianists Hugh Tinney and Finghin Collins at the RDS Concert Hall and the German Fauré Quartet at Killruddery. The US ambassador’s residence in the Phoenix Park features as a venue for the first time, hosting violinist Arabella Steinbacher and pianist Arabella Steinbacher. See musicgreatirishhouses.com.

Culture night at the Gaeltacht

Culture night is going to the Gaeltacht. The very successful venture, where galleries, theatres, artists’ studios, churches and allsorts stay open into the night with special events and free entertainment for all, in what has up to now been primarily an urban setting, will extend to Gaeltacht areas and offshore islands this year.

The open night, which started in a relatively small way in Dublin in 2006 (following an international model), and attracted 40,000 people into the city centre, rapidly spread to other cities and larger towns, having grabbed the public imagination to go national in 2008.

Last year, more than 130,000 people took part in Dublin alone. And this year Culture Night, on Sep 24 (details on culturenight.ie from Aug 18), will spread to Gaeltacht areas including Connemara, Donegal and Cork, working through Ealaín na Gaeltachta (a subsidiary of Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Arts Council).

Temple Bar Cultural Trust (TBCT) was to the fore in setting up Culture Night and, along with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, has been shepherding it as it grew like Topsy. TBCT’s head of cultural development Gráinne Millar points out that many offshore islands – Inishbofin, Cape Clear, Tory – have their own festivals, and Culture Night can build on that to celebrate their local culture.

As well as urban centres, the Gaeltacht and islands, conversations are taking place with Cos Carlow, Westmeath, Leitrim, Kildare and Laois so far, and local arts officers are taking the lead to celebrate the identity of counties.

Culture Night has certainly proved there is an appetite for special events and longer opening hours, if the events are there. Interesting to see the recent figures showing the number of visitors to Irish cultural institutions in 2009 topped 3 million, up by almost 23,000 visitors on 2008. The National Gallery, National Concert Hall, National Library, National Archives and National Museum (Decorative Arts History) all recorded significant visitor increases over 2008; it would be interesting to see figures for a much wider selection of venues. Significantly, these institutions are all free – which is also a huge plus for visitors.

TBCT recently launched its events guide for the year, including the return of In Handel's Dayon Tues, Apr 13 (events marking the anniversary of the 1742 premiere) and the Chocolate Christmas festival (Dec 3-5) with chocolate workshops and outdoor movies, as well as a free new culture club for kids, and a cultural programme for over-55s.

The Temple Bar circus festival is no more, but a “summer sensational” weekend is planned for Jul 8-11.