Artscape: The Arts Plan 2002-2006 may be dead, but arts organisations and artists needn't make themselves too comfortable in its absence - a successor is on the way, it was confirmed by the Arts Council this week, writes Belinda McKeon.
That the publication, scheduled for summer 2005, will be only an emerging arts plan may worry those who called for sharp action by the council to replace definitively the plan controversially shelved earlier this year, but then, right from the start, the attitude of this council and its chair, Olive Braiden, seems to have been that these things take time and consultation with the artists. Listening to the "heartbeat" of the artists, of which Braiden spoke in March - during the same week the Arts Plan was "set aside" and Quinn's resignation announced - has already begun, in the form of informal meetings with individuals. A more formal consultation process to develop the "emerging plan" will start this autumn. Expect public meetings, themed regional seminars and focus groups. And try not to think about how where the money for all this activity will come from - the end result might just turn out to be the sort of plan the sector has been crying out for.
One person who's certainly going to be watching with interest is Quinn herself. Will the council send her postcards from consultation events, as did the members of the Arts Council executive and the 60 visiting delegates from Europe and Asia who visited Cork last weekend for a conference on the challenges faced by arts workers attempting to network transnationally? Hardly, but here's hoping that the perspectives which emerge from the consultation process are as interesting as those in the weekend's discussions on Asian-European relationships, on the place of culture in the Balkans, on translation, and on the need for advocacy to wring funds from the Council of Europe.
Get talking to the Arts Council by e-mailing suggestions and thoughts to consult@artscouncil.ie or writing to Ideas for Consultation, The Arts Council, 70 Merrion Square, Dublin 2.
No business for Cork 2005
Rumours of ructions in the management of Cork 2005 focus on the dissatisfaction of the Cork Chamber of Commerce, which, according to its president, Robin O'Sullivan, feels that more could have been done to involve the local business community in the event before now, writes Mary Leland.
It might be thought that the local business community could have been a little bit pro-active all by itself, given that Cork's designation as 2005's European Capital of Culture has hardly been a secret for the last 18 months, but that's not how things work in the city, it seems.
A call to Cork County Council reveals that, with the exception of city projects that could be associated with a few cultural organisations in the county (the largest in Ireland), no particular attachments or engagements with Cork 2005 are contemplated by the city council's immediate neighbour. The Chamber of Commerce believes (as was revealed at a recent meeting attended by Kingsley Akins of the Ireland Fund, which is to hold its 2005 annual conference in Cork) that the director of Cork 2005, John Kennedy, has been "keeping his cards too close to his chest" and that time has been lost which might have been spent garnering the sponsorship deals required to support a programme budget of only €6 million. It is understood that there was a clear directive from the Cork 2005 board that it was desirable to confide in potential funders and to tell them when they could get involved. The Chamber of Commerce has its own representative, Eddie Murphy, on the Cork 2005 board, which has recently seen the departure of marketing director Philip McKeown and his replacement as director of sponsorship by Nigel O'Mahony, late of the Evening Echo newspaper and Carr Communications.
A recent board meeting reviewed the marketing and communications strategy and set up a sub-committee headed by Arts Council representative Theo Dorgan and Maura Moynihan of Cork/Kerry Tourism to ensure that board members with the appropriate skills will have a more active role in augmenting the work of the executive.
"We're all in this together," says Dorgan, who believes there is no reason to think that the Cork business community won't "finally" respond to the opportunities of 2005. Again, time is of the essence, and already director of communications Shane Malone is able to confirm that negotiations with Thomas Crosbie Holdings as the key media partner for the year are nearing completion. As well as this, an invitation to take up corporate membership has now been issued to Chamber of Commerce members, co-signed by Nigel O'Mahony and the chamber's CEO, Michael Geary.
'Wing' and a prayer
In the best tradition of skewed Belfast humour and tangled cultural identities, John Anderson's dance musical On Eagle's Wing was, in its early days, nicknamed "Shankilldance", a clear signal that one section of the community in the North felt that it was intended for the other, writes Jane Coyle. As though to redress this misconception, the show, which played the first of its two Belfast dates at the Odyssey Arena last night, is billed as "The Scots-Irish Journey", intended as a show for all.
Through the music and dance traditions of Ireland, Scotland and the US, On Eagle's Wing presents a series of fictionalised episodes in the stirring history of the Ulster Scots, who played a significant role in shaping the US.
The show has already had to navigate more than its fair share of stormy seas. In common with the emigration ship after which it is named, almost the entire crew set sail from Belfast last month, bound for a series of hyped preview performances in Atlanta, Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale. But, as in the case of its namesake, it was forced to turn back because of inclement conditions, this time in the shape of a major US backer, who failed to come forward with the promised funding.
Anderson took the difficult decision to cut losses, cancel all US shows and return to Belfast for just two scheduled performances at the Odyssey Arena, the only venue in the North large enough to accommodate it. Inevitably, the cancellation costs have been enormous and, as a result, pressure has mounted for commercial and creative success at home.
Enormous efforts have been put into the live television recording of the show, which is due to be screened coast to coast across the States by the public service broadcaster, PBS. Production standards will have to be high if the screenings are to act as an effective marketing tool for a proposed American tour.
In spite of all the setbacks, financial crises and adverse publicity, morale and team spirit remain intact. On the eve of opening, director Ian McElhinney was sounding remarkably upbeat.
"It is not unusual for shows to hit choppy waters and experience serious financial difficulties", he said. "Many would have bitten the dust under such strain and it speaks volumes for the standard of the show and the tremendous spirit among cast and production team that it is still on the rails. For sure, it was desperately unfortunate that we were actually in the States without the funding to allow us to continue. But here we are in Belfast at the appointed time, with a show that I believe has real strength and heart. That, in itself, is nothing short of miraculous and is a tribute to the quality of the work."
Comedy pile-up
They're coming along like buses, these comedy festivals. Not only does Kilkenny's Cat Laughs Festival celebrate its 10th anniversary next month but on the same bank holiday weekend, and less than 100 miles down the road, another international comedy festival is to be staged.
The Murphy's Uncorked festival, a mix of comedy and roots music, takes place in Cork from Thursday, June 3rd to Sunday, June 6th. To get the city into gear for being the European Capital of Culture next year, an impressive line-up of comics and musicians will be performing at most city venues.
Have I Got News For You host Paul Merton, rising (if not risen) star Jimmy Carr and Jeremy Hardy will do the comedy honours, while on the music front there will be performances from Sam Brown (singer with the Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Orchestra), Eric Bibb, Cork's own Lee Delta Blues Club, the London Community Gospel Choir, and Dubliner Damien Dempsey.
The same company, Murphy's, is sponsoring both Cat Laughs and Uncorked, but the the company obviously doesn't see a conflict between staging two international comedy festivals on the same dates so geographically close to each other.
At Kilkenny, the programming is slanted towards an edgier style of comedy, often showcasing tomorrow's big names, such as Graham Norton, who memorably performed in a tiny room to a tiny crowd back in 1996 - whereas Cork goes straight for the household names. Interestingly, of the comics at Uncorked this year, both Paul Merton and Jimmy Carr have parents from the Munster area, Merton's from Co Waterford and Carr's from Co Limerick.
In an effort to promote Uncorked as a stand-alone festival, none of the comedians will be double-jobbing in Kilkenny, although we did notice that Jimmy Carr has slotted in a sneaky appearance at Kilkenny on the Thursday night before continuing down to Cork. Big names at Kilkenny this year include Daniel Kitson, current Perrier Award winner Demetri Martin, Tommy Tiernan and Ardal O'Hanlon.
Uncorked box office, tel: 021-4501673; Cat Laughs box office, tel: 056-7763837