CHARLES O'BRIEN,
Madam, - I have read with interest recent letters to your paper commenting on perceived deficiencies in the forthcoming Arts Bill. Arts lobbies throughout the country are justifiably concerned that their particular piece of the funding "pie" will be reduced and the considerable developments which performing art forms, in particular, have made will be negated.
As officially recognised performing art forms, opera, ballet, contemporary dance and drama have all received considerable Arts Council support over the past 30 years. The EU-commissioned Forum 2001 - an overview of cultural co-operation in Europe - defines performing arts as "theatre, dance, music, opera, the lyric arts, street theatre and circus". Despite this, circus has only recently been recognised by the Irish Arts Council as an art form.
In its latest Arts Plan the council cites developing new audiences as a major goal and aspiration. For over 114 years Fossett's Circus has toured the 32 counties of Ireland bringing our unique form of theatre to socially and geographically marginalised audiences. We are 30 years older than the Abbey, making us the oldest theatrical institution in the State.
Long before state-subsidised opera, dance and drama productions were presented to a small, elite cognoscenti, Fossett's were bringing live music and entertainment to families who would never visit the National Theatre or the National Concert Hall. Each year, however, these people and their children visit what they have come to consider their national circus.
We have to date received only minimal support and no revenue funding whatsoever, resulting in a complete inability to plan, develop and compete with the ever increasing influx of foreign circuses. Such a situation would not be tolerated in any other arts organisation and we are calling on the Arts Council to immediately redress its previous lack of recognition and support.
One hopes that the elitism implicit in funding only those art forms which conform to a selective view of art will be swept away by the advent of this new Arts Bill. Arts Council salaries, in particular those of the soon-to-be-recruited 12 new employees who are to be financed out of annual arts funding and not from the Exchequer, are paid by the 25,000 families who visit our circus each year.
If any of those who attended the lavish bash in the Merrion Hotellast week to launch the Opera Ireland season in the Gaiety were PAYE contributors, one hopes that they appreciated the considerable Arts Council support the company received, enabling it to pitch its top seat prices at a reasonable €71. If only we all could afford to be so generous to our audiences.
Circus is a valid, respected performing art form which enjoys state support and recognition throughout Europe. After 114 years serving the Irish public, we believe that the time has come for Ireland to follow suit. - Yours etc.,
CHARLES O'BRIEN, Marketing Director, Fossett's Circus, Lucan, Co Dublin.