Download Annual Report 1965-66

An Chomhairle Ealaíon An Ceathrú Tuarascáil Déag Bhliantúil Fourteenth Annual Report and agus Cuntais ó lú Aibreán, 1965, Accounts from 1st April, 1965, to go 31ú Márta, 1966. 31st March, 1966. Tíolacadh don Rialtas agus leagadh Presented to the Government and laid faoi bhráid gach Tí den Oireachtas de before each House of the Oireachtas bhun altanna 6 (3) agus 7 (1) den pursuant to Sections 6 (3) and 7 (1) of Acht Ealaíon, 1951. the Arts Act, 1951. Luach Sé Pingne Price Sixpence (Pr. 8909) An Chomhairle Ealaíon Na Comhaltaí/Members Reverend Father Donal O'Sullivan, S.J. Director Dr. C. S. Andrews Ordinary Member Dr. Richard J. Hayes Ordinary Member Mr. John Hunt Ordinary Member Dr. Thomas McGreevy Ordinary Member The Earl of Rosse Ordinary Member Mr. Michael Scott Ordinary Member Dr. Brian Boydell Co-opted Member Mr. R. R. Figgis Co-opted Member Sir Basil Goulding, Bart. Co-opted Member Dr. Conor A. Maguire Co-opted Member Mr. Terence de Vere White Co-opted Member An Chomhairle Ealaíon An Ceathrú Tuarascáil Déag Don Rialtas: Bhliantúil agus Cuntais ó 1ú. Aibreán, 1965 go 31ú Márta, De bhun altanna 6 (3) agus 7 (1) den Acht Ealaíon, tíolacann an Chomhairle 1966 Ealaíon Tuarascáil agus Cuntais na Chomhairle don bhliain lú Aibreán, 1965, go 31ú Márta, 1966. Is í An Chomhairle Ealaíon an comhlucht a bunaífodh leis an Acht Ealaíon, 1951, agus ta sí comhdhéanta de líon nach mó ná dhá chomhalta déag mar leanas: An Stiúrthóir, arna cheapadh ag an Uachtarán Seisear comhaltaí, dá ngairmtear gnáth-chomhaltaí, arna gceapadh ag an Rialtas. Pé méid comhaltaí, nach mó ná cúigear, dá ngairmtear comhaltaí comhthofa, arna gcomhthoghadh ag cornhlucht atá comhdhéanta den Stiúrthóir agus den seisear gnáth-chomhaltaí. Is iad feidhmeanna na Comhairle Ealaíon (1) suim an phobail sna healaíona a spreagadh, (2) eolas, dea-mheas agus cleacht ar na healaíona a chur chun cinn, (3) cabhrú le caighdeáin na n-ealaíon d'fheabhsú, (4) taispeántais (sa Stát nó lasmuigh den Stát) d'oibreacha ealaiíon agus de cheardaíocht ealaíonta d'eagrú, cabhrú lena n-eagrú, (5) comhairle a thabhairt don Rialtas, nó d'aon chomhalta den Rialtas, i dtaobh aon ní (is ní da bhfónann eolas agus taithí ar na healaíona) a n-iarrfar comhairle orthu ina thaobh. (6) comhoibriú agus cabhrú le haon daoine eile ag a bhfuil baint, go direach nó go neamhdhireach, le nithe a bhaineas leis na healaíona. San Acht Ealaíon, ciallaíonn an abairt 'na healaíona' péintéireacht, sníodóireacht, ailtireacht, ceol, drámaíocht, litríocht, dearthóireacht tionscail agus na mín-ealaíona agus na healaíona feidhmeacha i gcoitinne An Chomhairle Ealaíon Fourteenth Annual Report To the Government: and Accounts from 1st April, 1965 to 3 1st March, 1966 Pursuant to Sections 6 (3) and 7 (1) of the Arts Act, 1951, An Chomhairle Ealaíon presents the Report and Accounts of the Council for the year 1st April, 1965, to 31st March, 1966. An Chomhairle Ealaíon is the body established by the Arts Act, 1951, and consists of not more than twelve members constituted as follows: The Director, appointed by the President Six members, known as ordinary members, appointed by the Government. A maximum of five other members, known as co-opted members, co-opted by a body comprising the Director and the six ordinary members. The functions of An (1) to stimulate public interest in the arts, Chomhairle Ealaíon are (2) to promote the knowledge, appreciation and practice of the arts, (3) to assist in improving the standards of the arts, (4) to organise or assist in the organising of exhibitions (within or without the State) of works of art and artistic craftsmanship, (5) to advise the Government or a member of the Government on any matter (being a matter on which knowledge and experience of the arts has a bearing) on which their advice is requested, (6) to co-operate with and assist other persons concerned directly or indirectly with matters relating to the arts. In the Arts Act, the expression 'the arts' means painting, sculpture, architecture, music, the drama, literature, design in industry and the fine arts and applied arts generally Contents Page Introduction 1 The Visual Arts Painting, (a) An Chomhairle Ealaíon Collection 3 Sculpture, Architecture, Design, Applied Arts (b) Scheme for the Purchase of Works of 3 Art and their sale at half-price (c) The New York Irish Institute Fund 3 (d) Duais-Chiste an Uachtaràin de hÍde 3 (e) Prize for Portraiture 4 (f) Batik Art Exhibition 4 (g) Malaysian Art Exhibition 4 (h) Francis Bacon Exhibition 4 (i) Macaulay Fellowship in Sculpture, 1965 4 (j) Macaulay Fellowship in Painting, 1966 4 (k) Sligo County Museum 4 (l) Lusitania Peace Memorial, Cobh 5 (m) Art Slides 5 (n) Other Exhibitions and Activities 5 Music (a) University Scholarships in Music, 1965 6 and 1966 (b) Grants and Guarantees 6 Drama Grants and Guarantees 6 Literature (a) Triennial Prize for Poetry in Irish 7 (b) An Chomhairle Ealaíon Series of Irish 7 Writers (c) Grants and Guarantees 7 Other Activities (a) Advice and Recommendations to 7 Government Departments, Public Bodies and Other Organisations (b) Varia 8 Accounts 9 Exhibition of Malaysian Art Nik zarnal abidin vishnu the Warrior (oils) INTRODUCTION The encouraging and financing of music continues to be the Council's most intractable problem. In the year under review grants and guarantees to music numbered 25 (of these 17 were given to the provinces and 8 to Dublin) and over 50 % of the total moneys distributed by the Council was spent on music while painting and sculpture together received only 28 %. Last year the percentage for music was 38.7 and for the previous year it was 21-6. This expenditure on music—while allowing that it is a costly art—cannot possibly be increased; it must in fact in fairness to the other arts be diminished. The expressed mind of the Taoiseach and of the Legislature at the time of the Arts Act of 1951 was primarily to favour the visual arts because of the grave state of neglect which for so long had been their fate. Music, while certainly to be aided, was not envisaged by them as being the first concern of the new body which they were setting up. We have then, most regretfully, to make it clear to those applying for musical grants that the increase in three years from 21 % to over 50 % has been seriously disproportionate and cannot continue. The reason is an entirely simple one—An Chomhairle Ealaíon has just not got the money, and neither indignant nor pathetic letters can alter that fact. The Council is no less grieved about it than the applicants and is fully conscious of the magnificent work that is so generously being done. But the Council is not empowered to mint money—as some correspondents seem to think—and it must also remember its obligations to the other arts which are in danger of suffocation from the ever-growing demands of music. This year, for instance, as last year also, we were shamed—the term is only a little too strong—into granting another £1,000 University scholarship in music to match the generosity of the Dorothy Mayer Foundation. These scholarships are a long-term investment which one can only hope is worthwhile— obviously there can be no guarantee of this: but it is an investment we cannot hope to repeat for quite a while to come. 'Suppose that one of you decides to build a tower. Does he not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete the work?' Some of our applicants are indeed admirable in this way and are too conscientious and properly proud to beg what, with effort, they could themselves produce; others are just hopeless. The decision of a group in a country town to 'do' a week of Grand Opera—what a fearsome fascination it has!—may be admirable. On the other hand it may be quite ridiculous—for want of sufficient talent and musical experience and for want of any realistic approach to costs. 'Oh, the Arts Council will finance it!' But in this age of universal television and radio, when excellent opera and excellent light music played by competent musicians can be got at the flick of a switch, it is not the function of An Chomhairle Ealaíon to support with its exiguous grant what too often are little better than pleasant social amenities. In music, as in the other arts, one of the Council's main tasks is to 'assist in improving standards'. So, amid the clamour of rival demands, its policy is to aid what shows either some measure of actual attainment or some promise of excellence. That some of these many and increasing demands are 'rival' will in future have to be taken into account by applicants for aid no less than by the Council itself. With modern ease of travel it is surely possible for two or three neighbouring towns to combine in a joint musical effort, thus ensuring a reasonably high standard of performance and audiences of a size that would cover more than a token proportion of the expenses. People who motor fifty miles to a dance once or twice a week, may be shocked at the suggestion that they should travel twenty miles for a rehearsal—and under a conductor from another town and with the leading lady's part given to a rival soprano! But these all too human difficulties have to be ironed out if musical performances are to attain a worth-while standard and are even approximately to pay their way.

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