Irish arts companies have ambitious plans for next year, with applications for Arts Council funding totalling more than €130 million, €60 million more than was available for grants this year.
In its pre-budget briefing the Arts Council yesterday stressed the need for next year's funding to increase by €20 million to €100 million.
The extra funding the Arts Council is seeking "is not going to limit the room for manoeuvre on major policy areas such as health, education or social welfare", said chairwoman Olive Braiden.
While public spending cuts are necessary, it is "not an advisable approach for the arts, as the sector is so dependent on people, and needs increased current funding to fully find its feet at a sustainable level".
The outlook for the economy may be poorer, but the Arts Council is strongly pitching to fulfil its commitments under Partnership for the Arts, a plan which accepted by the Government.
Because many funding application dates are now earlier, the council knows the quality of work proposed for next year is very high, said Arts Council director Mary Cloake. While they could do with double the extra €20 million they are seeking, "the taxpayer can be very confident that the additional money would be very well spent". Ms Braiden said the council was being realistic in the funding it seeks.
Arts Council programme manager John O'Kane outlined some of the plans of 77 key arts groups, for which €38.5m funding is sought, which he said showed the "breadth, maturity and ambition" of their three-year strategies.
Plans include: an O'Casey cycle from Druid Theatre, to follow its Synge international success; a new spring season for Wexford Festival Opera, plus resident dance and theatre companies at its new theatre; building on Irish Chamber Orchestra's development, including national touring and international work; Galway Arts Festival's development as an international arts festival and a cultural destination; the Irish Film Institute moving its archive to Dundalk and becoming a major national resource.
Other work supported by the Arts Council, for which it is seeking more funding, includes arts centres and the artistic work presented there; many smaller festivals; and artists' studios.
The Arts Council received more than 1,700 applications for grants for next year. In the three main funding strands they got 384 applications from major festivals, venues, resource organisations and production companies seeking more than €84 million.
The council also got 301 applications from small festivals, looking for nearly €3 million; 250 applications for one-off projects awards seeking €10 million. The 34 local authorities and Údaras na Gaeltachta asked the council for more than €5 million and 740 artists applied for a total of more than €13 million in bursaries, commissions and projects funding.
The Arts Council's obligations include €2 million to fund Aosdána, Deis traditional arts awards, and travel and training awards; €10 million for the Abbey Theatre as part of its special three-year arrangement. Following the success of the Touring Experiment it envisages a need for almost €5 million to continue supporting touring in 2008.
Government funding for the arts has increased over the past few years, but still lags well behind most other European countries as a percentage of GDP, said Ms Cloake.