We've never had it so good. Never has so much been spent on the arts in this country - every second week a new theatre seems to open, or some grandiose plan is floated to refurbish/relocate one of the existing cultural institutions. The next 12 months, though, will be vital in the development of culture, with a number of significant decisions to be made by the Minister for the Arts, Sile de Valera: will we still have an Arts Council this time next year or will it be incorporated into the Department? What about a purpose-built Opera House? Will The Abbey be moving to the Docklands? How will IMMA's role change, given current developments with its director? Can the National Concert Hall get the extra space it so badly needs, and will the much-mooted Irish Academy of the Performing Arts become a source of creative excellence?
The money is there - but how will it be spent? Some indication was provided by Sile de Valera's discussion document, Towards A New Framework For The Arts, published last August, which was heavily slanted towards a gentle killing off of the existing independent (but politically-appointed) Arts Council and having its functions subsumed by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and The Islands. Such a move would be "disastrous" according to a number of arts commentators, who believe that the development of the arts in the country would become an exercise in "monument building" and "showcasing". The Minister received more than 225 submissions in response to her document, and says "an examination is being carried out on the submissions received to determine and record the issues raised and to analyse the overall trends. I hope to have this phase of the evaluation process concluded by the end of this year.
Its outcome will establish the need, if any, for more focused consultation with the sector to inform the development of a new legislative framework for the Arts which I intend to introduce by way of an Arts Bill (later next year)." This is a timely move: the new bill will provide a significant legislative framework for the development of the arts. By the time of its introduction we should have a slightly clearer idea about the fate of some important institutions.
The Abbey, which will celebrate its centenary in three years' time, has been granted £50 million by the Government to either refurbish its present building or relocate to a new venue. The theatre's board is split over the decision, with the historical resonance of the present site being a major factor in the debate. Nonetheless there is a groundswell of support for a move to Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2. ail last month (December) that "my consideration of the options for the future development of the Abbey Theatre is ongoing, particularly with regard to the financial support that will be required from Government". How The Gate Theatre will fare over the next 12 months is equally up in the air. For the last 11 months the theatre hasn't received any funding from the Arts Council (Merrion Square evidently having reservations about its programming policy) and whether it will now begin to fully operate as a solely commercial theatre remains a moot point.
The explosion of new theatres around the country will ensure that changing demographic trends are being adequately catered for. A lot of the new theatres are there due to the previous Minister for the Arts, Michael D. Higgins's decision to earmark £3 million of EU structural funds into a Cultural Development Incentive Scheme and Sile de Valera's £36 million ACCESS scheme for capital development projects. This year, the Pavilion in Dun Laoghaire opened and the new Project reopened and next year Blanchardstown, Newbridge (Co Kildare) Ballymun and Tipperary will all have their own cultural spaces.
Due to open in 2002, the Irish Academy of the Performing Arts at DCU in Glasnevin has already run into a problem due to the withdrawal of the Royal Irish Academy of Music from the scheme.
There are fears, too, for the future of the Irish Museum of Modern Art's artistic policy, given the bruising and bitter row which has been going on between the chairman, Marie Donnelly, and the director, Declan McGonagle. Whether McGonagle stays or goes, it will be difficult to heal the divisions which have formed between board members and members of the artistic community - and to restore public confidence in the institution.
There'll be a celebratory feel to many of next year's Arts Council initiatives given that it's now in its 50th year. "We've a lot of things lined up to celebrate the anniversary," says Nessa O'Mahony, head of Public Affairs. "We'll be looking back at what the Arts Council has achieved, and looking forward to the future. In tune with changing modes of information, the council is undertaking a series of Web-based projects: a virtual gallery which will feature selected art works from the council's collection, and a virtual library of Arts Council publications and documents.
Also online will be an island-wide listings project - based on the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's Arts Link mini-magazine, which will feature comprehensive listings as well as reviews and editorial. The council is also behind the International Visiting Critics Programme, curated by Fiach MacConghail. The idea is to invite a number of writers and arts commentators from abroad to witness first hand Irish cultural activity. The writers will then be able to share their views of Irish culture with both the Lyric FM radio station and The Irish Times. A local radio campaign will keep people in touch with what is happening throughout the year, and the council is also planning a major public art programme. "We want to applaud the fact that in this country the arts have been funded by the State," says O'Mahony.
An interesting year, all in all, with much to be decided, much to be discussed and no doubt, much to be argued about.