A little head of steam is building up nicely in the arts community concerning the question of who should promote Irish arts abroad. There is broad agreement that the Cultural Relations Committee at the Department of Foreign Affairs, with its relatively small budget and its infrequent meetings, is not in itself enough. However, what sort of international arts agency should there be, and who should run it: the Arts Council or a government department?

The Arts Council has set up a working group to explore the issue, chaired by Council member, Maud Cotter. It will report to Minister de Valera before she moves to reform arts legislation. However, the Minister's document seems tilted against Arts Council involvement, stating: "It can be argued that for the Arts Council to assume this role would carry the risk of diverting both its attention and some of its Exchequer funding from its core responsibility."

At tomorrow's all-day Theatre Shop in Dublin Castle, this issue will be discussed in the opening session. Then theatre practitioners will have their annual golden opportunity to participate in workshops and mix with a host of international theatre promoters and producers.

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