Ireland's presidency of the EU is accompanied by arts events that might produce a memorable six months, writes Shane Hegarty

As Ireland begins its presidency of the EU the focus might be on the political developments, but we should soon find our attention diverted by the artistic programme that accompanies the six-month term. Almost €4 million is being spent on an ambitious and impressive series of events that aims to celebrate the Irish presidency by highlighting the countries that will join the union on May 1st. There will be concerts, exhibitions, funfairs and interactive art spread across the night sky, as well as the obligatory fireworks. A programme intended to complement the presidency may end up creating the lasting memories of our term.

Ireland's six other presidential stints have been culturally modest affairs. The previous presidency, for instance, was opened by a concert by The Corrs in Meeting House Square, in Temple Bar. This year the ambitions are far grander. Previous presidencies have committed varying amounts to promoting Irish artists at home and in Brussels, for example; now we will both send artists abroad and welcome to Ireland artists from accession countries.

"It came about because the Taoiseach was particularly anxious that we would welcome the new countries in an appropriate manner," says John O'Donoghue, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. "He asked us to bring forward proposals for a programme of events and activities that would help forge new friendships and connections. It was felt that it was important to promote Irish arts abroad and to celebrate the cultural diversity abroad in our own unique way. If we stuck with politics it would be a very boring celebration and presidency and welcome for the accession countries."

It's also about getting a wider message across to the new member states. "We have found, when talking to these countries, that they feel they have a challenge in maintaining their languages and arts, of holding on to their cultures. Ministers from these countries have stated again and again that it's a worry. But they have had to hold on through more trying and difficult circumstances than now, and what could not be defeated by guns or bombs is not going to be defeated by this.

"It's often forgotten that these countries look to us as an example of what can be achieved. It reassures their populations that it is possible to preserve their identity within a large economic union. And by expressing ours it gives credence to that argument that it is possible, even after 31 years of membership of the EU, to preserve our identity."

The main events at home will occur around the accession date, with the first event beginning the previous week. While Europe looks towards Dublin Castle, Dubliners will be looking to the sky as the Mexican artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer brings his Vectorial Elevation event to the city for two weeks. Described as the world's largest interactive artwork, it consists of 18 searchlights pointing skywards, their beams visible from 10 miles away. The public will choreograph the lights by creating designs on a website; the site will also use four webcams to relay and record the spectacle of each design's 12-second life. When Vectorial Elevation was brought to Vitoria, in Spain, in 2002 the website received 3.5 million hits.

On April 30th Dublin will be treated to a large fireworks display to mark the arrival of midnight across the EU's three time zones. The next day has been christened Day of Welcomes, and 10 Irish towns will each host an accession country, having created an event to welcome it (see panel). The Department was keen to involve towns around Ireland, not just Dublin. "The host-towns idea, of course, had been so successful in the Special Olympics, so it appeared to be the right way forward." Each town has received €50,000, which it must match. "We wanted to showcase the entire country to the accession countries and the world, to show that this is what the new Ireland is about and not just about the capital."

Dublin will host a Fair Day, at which all 25 existing members of the EU will be represented by stands. It is seen as mirroring the tradition of the fair as a place to welcome arrivals to a town and to learn about them. The day will culminate in a rock concert in the centre of the city, although details are yet to be confirmed.

St Patrick's Festival, the organisation that has run Dublin's official St Patrick's Day events since 1996, will manage Day of Welcomes and Vectorial Elevation. Having broadened its scope to the regions in recent years, it will also manage the input of the 10 towns. "It's important to remember that the Irish have a reputation for being the best at throwing a party," says O'Donoghue, "so it was important that we had the best administration expertise available."

The visits from accession-country artists will be a key element of the presidency. The Abbey Theatre, for example, will feature Polish, Hungarian and Slovenian companies, Dublin International Film Festival will screen films from the countries and West Cork Chamber Music Festival will include a visit by the Vilnius String Quartet. The Department's tactic has been to work with festivals and other organisations rather than arrange all of the events itself, encouraging co-operation and then giving assistance.

It has adopted the same philosophy with the artists who will represent Ireland abroad during the presidency, first approaching several artists, arts groups and other arts organisations to see if they were interested in and capable of organising a foreign trip, then agreeing to sponsor those trips. It means that, were you to wander Europe over the next six months, you could catch Green Screen, a series of Irish films, in Malta or Opera Ireland performing L'Altro Mondo, its mixture of classical music and dance, in Latvia. The pianist Finghin Collins will visit Estonia and the Czech Republic, the National Chamber Choir will go to Prague and Poland and the Irish Chamber Orchestra will also tour several countries.

These are not, then, the usual suspects of twee trad and cute dancers. A further look at the roster confirms an effort to avoid stereotype. Traditional musicians are on the list - in fact, Danú are performing in Brussels on Monday, as are Donal Lunny, Sharon Shannon, Martin Hayes and others later in the presidency, in a concert called Legends From Ireland - but the first tour to Eastern Europe will be by the rock act Bell X1. As for dance, we will be represented by Irish Modern Dance Theatre, which travels to Tallinn, the Estonian capital, in May with a contemporary work, Our Dublin, that is free of curly-headed colleens. Visiting journalists will be presented with a CD featuring the likes of The Thrills, Crash Ensemble and Ronan Guilfoyle and a DVD featuring short films such as the Oscar-nominated animated shorts Give Up Yer Aul Sins and Fifty Percent Grey.

The message is that Ireland is no longer the culturally homogenous place that it once was - and that some may assume it still to be. "We could not adopt a blinkered approach," says the Minister. "So we have spread-eagled our efforts over several sectors of the arts. There are 250 Irish artists visiting the 10 countries over the next six months. It will be a mutual exchange of cultures, and the argument can be made that ours has not only survived but that we have had some sort of renaissance; that, far from being inhibited, we have seen a flowering and expression of Irish culture both within Europe and beyond."

Two exhibitions will run at the European Council building in Brussels. Alongside one on the languages used in Ireland through the ages, the Gallery of Photography has been commissioned to curate an exhibition of contemporary photographs. Eleven photographers have provided 150 images, which again will aim to persuade the decision-makers of Europe that Ireland does not have to be viewed through John Hinde postcards.

"I have alwaysbelieved that modern Ireland could not look outward from the back of a donkey cart carrying two baskets of turf," says O'Donoghue. "It's simply not in accordance with reality. We must present a modern Ireland that is proud of its past and which has preserved the best of its heritage."

The Department regarded the long-term benefit of each overseas event as vital. It chose artists and acts that already had contacts in the countries they would be visiting and that intended to continue building those links in the future. It felt there would be little point in burning brightly but briefly.

Added to the €6.7 million given in the last Estimates to the Cultural Relations Committee, which funds Irish cultural activities abroad, it suggests a new seriousness in the Government's approach to the overseas marketing of Irish arts. "This will sow the seeds of artistic co-operation in several countries, and it must ultimately benefit us as a whole," says O'Donoghue. "I think that the success of Riverdance showed us the potential of Irish arts abroad, and we must realise that. Culturally and artistically these shows will also represent how best to continue to promote Irish arts, not just over the next six months but in the years beyond."

The Cultural Relations Committee is not involved in this programme, and the formulation of a new committee is on the agenda, but the Minister believes it will reap the benefits of this for some time. "We regard this presidency and these performances as a launching pad for Irish arts," he says.

O'Donoghue, who is also, of course, responsible for tourism, admits that the Department has also considered the possible benefits for the Irish "brand". The rock concert, for example, will be filmed by RTÉ for broadcast across Europe, helping to target a new tourist market after years of reliance on the US and UK.

The Minister's personal highlights from the programme include the tours of the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the National Chamber Choir and the Green Screen film series. He is also looking forward to Danú's performance on Monday. Will he create a design for the floodlights? "I just might, although does it take green and gold?" Perhaps he could get it to spell out "Thank You Bertie". He laughs. "If I can, I should."

Import export

Three We'll Export:

Irish Modern Dance Theatre, with the contemporary composer Jürgen Simpson and DJ Herv, will take part in a weekend of contemporary performing arts entitled Our Dublin in the Estonian capital, Tallinn.

The Irish Film Board and Irish Film Institute, in co-operation with the Europa Cinema Network, which specialises in promoting European cinema, will tour a season of Irish films, entitled Green Screen, to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Malta, Latvia, Poland and Slovenia.

The Irish Chamber Orchestra will perform in Vilnius, Prague, Budapest, Warsaw and Cyprus.

Three We'll Import

The Abbey Theatre will host three European productions. The Polish company TR Warszawa will perform a stage version of the film Festen in January; the Hungarian company Vígszínház will present Dance In Time in March; and Slovenia's Mladinsko Theatre will bring a highly physical production of A Midsummer Night's Dream to the theatre in May.

The National Gallery of Ireland hosts New Frontiers: Work From The New EU Member States, featuring 60 significant European works created between 1850 and 1950.

The Vilnius String Quartet will open the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in June.

The host towns

Bray, Co Wicklow, will host Cyprus

Cork will host Slovakia

Drogheda, Co Louth, will host Latvia

Galway will host Estonia

Kilkenny will host Lithuania

Killarney, Co Kerry, will host Czech Republic

Limerick will host Slovenia

Letterkenny, Co Donegal, will host Poland

Sligo will host Hungary

Waterford will host Malta