arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 page 1 page Arts Council of Northern Ireland - 2010-11 www.artscouncil-ni.org arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 Front Cover: Maria Jankowska, ‘Ukrywac’ (To Hide), 2010. Recent Acquisition by the the by Acquisition Recent 2010. Hide), (To ‘Ukrywac’ Jankowska, Maria Cover: Front Ireland Northern of Council Arts page 2 page page 3 page Our Vision Our vision is to ‘place the arts at the heart of our social, economic and creative life’. In Creative Connections*, our five-year development plan for the arts, 2007-2012, we identify four main themes covering what we believe needs to be done to achieve this vision - promoting the value of the arts; strengthening the arts; increasing audiences and improving our organisation’s performance. In this Annual Review 2010-11, you will see the progress that has been made in these areas, from the introduction of a professional development programme for individual artists and continued strengthening of the infrastructure, through to the campaign for a Fair Deal for the Arts and the NI Assembly’s Budget 2011-15. * available at www.artscouncil-ni.org Echo Echo Dance Theater Company, The Chess Piece. Piece. Chess The Company, Theater Dance Echo Echo Photography McClelland David Photo arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 Contents Welcome Welcome to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Annual Review 2010-2011. ‘Fair Deal for the Arts’ - Chairman’s Foreword 6 This calendar-style review of our combined Exchequer and National Lottery-funded activities covers many of The Board of the Arts Council 10 the artistic highlights of the last (financial) year, expanding in greater detail on several of the most significant events. ‘Defining Times’ - Chief Executive’s Foreword 14 A brief summary of our Accounts for the financial year is included at the end of the report. The complete sets of audited accounts for our Exchequer and National Lottery funds are made available on our website, The Executive of the Arts Council 16 www.artscouncil-ni.org A year in the Arts 18 Financial summary 36 Frequently Asked Questions 38 page 4 page What we do page 5 page The Arts Council is the development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland, providing the • Architecture main support for artists and arts organisations • Arts and Disability throughout the region through a range of • Arts and Health funding opportunities. • Circus Arts • Carnival Arts We distribute public money and National Lottery • Community Arts funds to organisations and people who develop • Crafts and deliver arts programmes across all of society. • Dance • Drama Our Arts Officers offer specialist guidance on • International Arts funding and project development to artists and • Language Arts organisations working across the spectrum of arts • Literature activities in Northern Ireland. • Music • Public Art • Traditional Arts • Visual Arts • Voluntary Arts • Youth Arts www.darraghneely.com arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 Arts Council awarded over £4 million through its Lottery Fund in 2010/11 to arts projects throughout Northern Ireland page 6 page Chairman’s page 7 page Foreword the range of parties and departments. At the same time of the financial year 2010/11 in a position to maintain we availed of opportunities to speak out on the subject, most of our core revenue-funded clients on standstill and employed new technology to good effect in the funding for the coming year. A cut is still a cut, of course, use of social networking sites in order to promote and and we do not underestimate the scale of the challenges gather public support in making the case for the arts. ahead for the sector, which will be compounded by The response by members of the Assembly, the arts inflation and other financial pressures. With the Arts Fair Deal for the Arts community and the public was heartening. At the close Council’s budget set to drop in 2012/13, there remains of the consultation, submissions in favour of the arts a need for organisations to seek further efficiencies and, comprised an overwhelming majority. for some, to consider greater collaboration and mergers. The Assembly not only heard the strong clear voice of The revised Budget 2011-15 considerably improved the people as they supported the ‘Fair Deal for the Arts’ the situation for the arts; and the NI Assembly’s The major achievements of 2010-11 have taken £4 billion over the period, due to the reduction in the campaign, but also adjusted its position in response final settlement is welcomed as a reprieve from the place under the lengthening shadow of the Northern Ireland Block Grant. DCAL, one of the smallest to the strength of the case that was presented. As the potentially devastating cuts initially proposed in the recession. The year started inauspiciously with the departments handling just 1% of total government Finance Minister acknowledged in his revised budget draft Budget. The final budget represents, I believe, an Assembly’s ‘Emergency Budget’, which led to the loss expenditure, seemed designated to receive the largest statement in March, “There was also substantial lobbying expression of confidence by the Assembly in Northern of £1.1 million from the Arts Council’s budget from proportionate cuts of all the Departments; and it on the arts. During the Budget process, I tried to acquaint Ireland’s arts and culture, and signifies recognition that the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL). appeared that the Arts Council faced an even more myself with the things that we spend money on. I went the quality of arts - alongside healthcare, justice and This should have been the final year uplift for the disproportionate reduction of £4.2 million in cash terms round schools, arts groups, museums and building projects education - is one of the measures by which a society is arts, indicated in the previous Comprehensive over the four-year budget period. and talked to people in all kinds of departments. Many judged. Spending Review of 2008-11, but which failed to people think of the arts as simply a picture hanging on materialise; leaving our core revenue-funded clients The window to challenge the budget through the public a wall, but it involves a lot of employment potential - with a shortfall of £3.32 million between demand consultation process remained open until mid-February especially tourist potential - in Northern Ireland.” and resource available. 2011, and the Arts Council, artists and arts organisations rallied under the campaign banner of a ‘Fair Deal for The threatened cut was reduced from £4.2 million Then in December 2010, the Finance Minister the Arts’. We created opportunities to put our case at to £1.4 million over the four-year budget period. In Rosemary Kelly, OBE announced the draft Budget 2011-2015, against the meetings with the Minister, the Culture Arts and Leisure addition, a budget of £1.4 million was reinstated for Chairman backdrop of a requirement to cut public spending by Committee and with other senior politicians from across capital projects. This leaves the Arts Council at the close arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 The Tourist Board’s rebranding of Belfast as a ‘city of music’ and Londonderry buoyed by winning the prestigious ‘UK City of Culture 2013’ shows how the arts are at the heart of creating a positive new page 8 page international image for Northern Ireland 9 page Mute Meadow public sculpture by Claire Oboussier and Vong Phaophanit, Phaophanit, Vong and Oboussier Claire by sculpture public Meadow Mute Morrison Brian Photo: Derry-Longonderry. Ebrington, arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 Ms Rosemary Kelly, OBE, Mr Damien Coyle, Mrs Eithne Benson Ms Kate Bond Chairman Vice Chairman The Board of the Arts Mr Raymond Fullerton Mr David Irvine Mr Anthony Kennedy Prof Ian Montgomery page 10 page Council page 11 page The Board of the Arts Council provides leadership Ms Rosemary Kelly was appointed Chairman of the Arts for the executive body, in particular in defining Council of Northern Ireland in 2003. The fourteen Board and developing its strategic direction. It monitors members, including the Vice-Chairman, Damien Coyle, performance in order to ensure that the Arts Council are drawn from a broad cross-section of representatives fully meets its aims, objectives and performance from the arts and cultural sector. targets, and acts in a way that promotes the highest standards of public finance. Mr William Montgomery Ms Sharon O’Connor Mr Joseph Rice Prof Paul Seawright Arts Council awarded over £13 million through its Exchequer fund in 2010/11 to support the full range of activities of artists and arts organisations throughout Northern Ireland. Mr Brian Sore Mr Peter Spratt Ms Janine Walker arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 Arts have the popular support of the public, with 75% of adults and 81% of young people attending or participating in arts events the last year page 12 page page 13 page It’s official! Derry~Londonderry will be City of Culture 2013. Photo: Photo: 2013. Culture of City be will Derry~Londonderry official! It’s Council City Derry arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 arts council of northern ireland annual review 2010-11 The average professional artist in Northern Ireland earns just £7,500 a year from their work - despite having achieved a higher level of formal education and working longer hours Chief than the wider labour force page 14 page Executive’s Foreword 15 page experienced by artists.