Madam, - The current debate on the proposed Arts Bill is valuable ifbelated. There has been general welcome for the thrust of thelegislation but the current wave of comment is founded primarily in thedecision to establish under Section 21 three predetermined standingcommittees. The standing committees proposed for innovation and localauthority activities will have global relevance; however, to advocatethat one expression be afforded such an independent sub-group is notdefensible.
The evident divisions that have emerged over this matter betweenmany who value our traditional heritage is telling. The selectcommittee under Celia Keaveney TD might well reflect that, with so manyjudicious voices raised against the proposal to establish a dedicatedsubgroup for traditional arts with independent funding authority, itwould be best to take the view that all artistic expression should betreated equally.
The traditional arts have demonstrated in recent decades that theyare a broad, innovative, and multi-faceted sector. To constrain theiractivities and much of the funding to the determination of such aproposed advisory committee would not serve them well. If we are tovalue our indigenous arts equally, they should be treated equally andnot relegated to some artificial area of intensive care.
A second concern surrounds the new relationship between the funderand the funded. It is fully understandable that in an age of increasingaccountability a Minister and Department would wish to hold some swayover the direction of arts policy. But to have the Government dictatepolicy is profoundly worrying. It is proposed that the functions of theArts Council are founded on assisting and implementing Governmentpolicies and objectives in relation to the arts (Section 9 (1) e). Thisrepresents a considerable shift from the admirable 1951 approach thatespoused a hands-off approach.
There are surely sufficient safeguards and mechanisms available toensure accountability without insisting on the arts conforming to apredetermined central policy. - Yours, etc.,
Dr JOSEPH RYAN,
Chair,
Forum for Music in Ireland,
Dublin.