WHEN THE Arts Council was established 60 years ago this month, the State was in the first stages of an economic meltdown that was to cast a shadow over the 1950s.
That the council survived is remarkable in the circumstances. Apart from the Irish language and areas of heritage, culture had not been on the agenda in any meaningful way, especially in its more contemporary forms, and attempts to place it there usually received curt dismissal. The initiative to provide State support came from Cumman na nGaedheal taoiseach John A Costello who introduced the first Arts Act in the Dáil. That support has fluctuated in the intervening years, with times of progress and increased resources and periods of stagnation and decline, depending on government policy and economic conditions.
Primarily through its struggle for public funding, and its advocacy of the arts as fundamental to the health of society, the council can take a bow for the ongoing development of Irish culture. It marks this anniversary in another era of austerity and faces the prospect of cuts that may undo some of its achievements. Costello’s assertion that “the amount spent is infinitesimal to the value received” still stands and should be remembered by his Fine Gael successors today.
As the agency “responsible for the promotion and development of the arts” – as the Arts Act puts it – the council has a considerable duty of welfare to both artist and audience. And it has had its triumphs and failures. The creation of the network of arts venues throughout the State has greatly facilitated access but providing adequate resources to maintain them is now a major challenge. Despite several worthy reports recommending real integration of the arts into education, little progress has been made. The council’s attempts to establish multiannual funding have been hindered due to recurring uncertainty over its own grant from the exchequer. This remains a major obstacle to planning and development.
The judicious separation of the government and its agency of patronage has served the arts well, though attempts have been made to dilute that policy, with the last Arts Act weakening the council’s autonomy through its consolidation of the minister’s policy-making role. As it celebrates 60 years, the Arts Council’s biggest challenge is the balancing act necessary to sustain what it has achieved and to nurture the next generation of artists. Like some of its predecessors in Merrion Square, it needs to raise its voice and reassert its role.