The newly-formed Theatre Forum organisation, which represents 160 performing arts groups, is to launch a national billboard campaign next week to draw attention to current under-funding of the arts.
As part of its campaign, it is also encouraging member organisations to lobby politicians.
Theatre Forum launched its pre-budget submission at a press conference in the Dublin Fringe Festival's Spiegeltent yesterday. The submission is part of a campaign for improved funding for the arts. The current Arts Plan 2000-2006 had recommended funding of €53 million for 2003, but this was cut by 17 per cent in the last budget.
Theatre Forum's members include many of the State's bestknown performing arts organisations, including the Abbey Theatre, Ballet Ireland, the Belltable, Druid, the Hawk's Well Theatre, the Helix, Galway Arts Festival, Kilkenny Arts Festival, the National Association for Youth Drama, Opera Ireland, Triskel Arts Centre and Wexford Festival Opera. Theatre Forum's newly-appointed chief executive, Ms Tania Banotti, declared: "We want the original, recommended Arts Council funding restored to the arts."
She cited examples of how this year's €3.25 million cut in funding had affected organisations.
Opera Ireland's 27 per cent cut resulted in the loss of six permanent jobs and the cancellation of its spring season; Ballet Ireland had a funding cut of 74 per cent and faced possible closure; the Abbey Theatre's €750,000 cut translated into the loss of some 50 acting roles; and the Druid, Fishamble, and Calypso theatre companies had all had to cut down on touring this year.
The submission also called for the restoration of multi-annual funding for those organisations which had previously received it, such as the Galway and Kilkenny Arts Festivals, both of whom came to the end of their three-year funding programme this year.
After Ms Banotti's speech, several actors appeared on the Spiegeltent stage to give the audience a short and amusing improvised interpretation of "cuts".
As they delivered monologues from their most recent performances, director Alan Stanford cut off most of actress Fiona O'Shaughnessy's long red frock. Various trouser legs and sleeves of garments belonging to Donna Dent, Frankie McCafferty and Eamonn Morrissey were removed by Stephen Brennan, Phelim Drew and Mick Lally.
The visual message about the affect of cutbacks on the performing arts in the State couldn't have been stronger - shirts were literally being taken off backs.
