CONFIDENCE IN THE ARTS Galway City Arts Strategy 2010 - 2013 Seamus Heaney and the Bathers Seamus Heaney and the Bathers CONFIDENCE IN THE ARTS Dance photo Published by Galway City Council Arts Office Galway City Council City Hall College Road Confidence in the Arts Galway Galway City Council Arts Strategy www.galwaycity.ie ISBN 978-0-9559126-4-1 Galway City Council Arts Office is Grant Aided by The Arts Council / An Chomhaile Ealaíonn Photographs and artwork courtesy of the artists and arts groups and Joe Shaughnessy (Connacht Tribune), Colm Hogan, Boyd Challenger, Joe Geoghegan, Ben Geoghegan Tom Mathews, and Aenghus McMahon. Front cover print by Brian Bourke and Jay Murphy. Photography by Joe Geoghegan. Back cover concept and photography by Ben Geoghegan. Contents Introduction The ambitions of the strategy Context Ethos Action Areas (i) People and places Key Values (ii) Place of the arts Context Key Values Actions Caption (iii) Creative Practitioners Context Key Values Actions (iv) Public art Vision Action (v) Information and New Media Context Actions Actions Caption Table 1: Publically Funded Arts Organisations Introduction is currently - and has always been – the smallest of all Local Authorities in Ireland. We look forward to redressing the balance Since 2001 Galway Arts Service has been a vibrant and essential and putting Galway City first. part of Galway City Council. Established to advise the Council on all aspects of contemporary art practice. The Arts Service also We wish particularly to acknowledge the chief writers of the ran its own programme of residencies, events, interventions and Strategy, arts consultant Sarah Searson who produced the original strategic partnerships. draft and City Council Director of Services for Culture Thomas Connell who brought all his experience into the creation of the The intention since inception has been to encourage and support final document. artistic excellence and endeavour throughout Galway City for the benefit of all citizens. Galway artists have a remarkable Cllr Michael Crowe, Mayor of Galway City reputation for creativity and originality and have brought Joe O’Neill, City Manager honour and distinction to their city. The Council over the years has endeavoured to improve the lot of our immensely talented community of artists and arts workers and we are proud indeed when their work impresses the world. Equally the Council has Acknowledgments striven in tandem to bring the creative experience to all who live We wish to thank the following for their assistance: all the in the city. artists, arts workers, citizens and communities of Galway who participated in the consultation process; Sarah Searson, Clare This new arts strategy for Galway City Council reaffirms our Niedecker, Thomas Connell, Director of Services for Culture commitment to curating, encouraging and supporting the arts for his major input into the final document and the production through the work of the City Arts Service. It reimagines the process; the Galway City Council members and staff, especially Service, builds on past achievements and directs the Service Michael T. Burke, Patricia Philbin, Deirdre Headd, Kate Kelly and towards new ways of working that are appropriate to current the Community and Culture Section of Galway City Council, times. It envisages an Arts Service that leads and advocates, that Patricia Mitchell, Kathleen Scanlon and the Parks Dept of Galway works at the forefront of creativity, that participates in fruitful City Council; Galway Community Forum; the members of the City partnerships and that utilises advanced communication models Council Culture SPC; Sabrina Brady, Siobhan Keane, Carol Ann to enrich and improve the lives and careers of the artists, arts Connolly, Sandra Coffey, Michael O’Loughlin, Justin McCarthy, workers and communities of Galway. Marilyn Gaughan; Monica Corcoran, Head of Local Arts at the Arts Council; the management and staff at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, To deliver on this strategy Galway City Council acknowledges Annaghmakerrig where much of the original draft was written. that it must devote more resources to the Arts Service, which The City Council acknowledges that many valuable contributions have made by the arts to Galway’s reputation as a vibrant city of creativity, imagination and learning. The City Council is committed and will continue to support the arts in Galway City and will work to maintain a healthy public, social and cultural sphere, and values the place of the arts as part of this process. The Council will continue to acknowledge, highlight and support the intrinsic benefits the city and its communities receive from the hard work, innovation and commitment of artists, art workers, organisations and various communities. This strategy acknowledges the immeasurable energy the arts have contributed to the city’s culture. The arts often address its community’s historical, social, symbolic and aesthetic values and reflect the concerns of contemporary city life. The City Council values and acknowledges its role in facilitating the arts to continue to develop its role in reaching out to enrich all communities across the City. Caption The Ambitions of the Strategy A good legacy of the strategy will be in orientating the City Council, to take an active role in arts leadership. It is the intention that the Galway City Council’s Arts Strategy outlines contexts, values, and Arts Service should enter a focused research period and develop actions which underpin its intentions for arts service provision a preparedness that will lead to planned use of its resources and for three years 2010-2013. A primary emphasis of the strategy physical infrastructure which is required particularly in the area is the development of policies which offer clarity in decision of visual arts, music and dance. Access to such resources will making processes and articulates how the City Council will work widen the inclusion of communities in arts participation. best within the various communities of the city. At the time of writing the strategy, it is apparent that funding for the arts, locally and nationally will be severely challenged. This Context time should be taken as an opportunity to advocate for the arts The arts have made many valuable contributions to Galway’s and prepare for the longer-term. Current financial challenges will good reputation as a vibrant city of creativity, imagination and call for continued value to be placed on the arts within the City learning. The challenge for Galway City Council during the term Council and across its various stakeholders. Infrastructural and of the strategy is to support a meaningful arts services that nurture resource provision in Galway City should develop in-line with and secure the City’s reputation in an increasingly complex and similar cities in Ireland. The strategy should also form the basis competitive arena; to move towards a service that supports risk- to develop a working tool which advocates for the arts and its taking in the work of creative people and the interests and needs contribution to the quality of city life. of the cities various communities. The City Council will continue to take a leadership role in creating The Arts Strategy intends, in a pragmatic and forward thinking a secure grounding for outward looking arts policies. The council way, to articulate and refine the role and duty of clients and to is significantly well placed, with opportunities and responsibilities realistically address the abilities and offer clarity about the Councils to work towards raising the status and value of the arts within the work processes. Expectations of limited human resources have city. The strategy outlines its approach to the artistic needs of the been taken into account in developing the strategy, and it is a city’s creative population and communities who drive the arts. strong recommendation that work is stream-lined and become It addresses its responsibilities to its communities through key focused on partnerships and developing project frameworks structural supports and sets out a strategic approach. Support, between local and national stakeholders. Key projects will be well directed active engagement and long-term advocacy is needed framed by detailed briefing documents and work plans. To assist also from the Council’s stakeholders, clients, communities and the the city council work they will engage with or be advised by executive and non-executive members in refining understanding independent expertise in the relevant artforms of the Council’s role in advancing and contributing to arts development of Galway City. Key values and actions highlight the development and consolidation needs of the Arts Office. Provision for new initiatives that support innovation of artists, organisations and existing resources are also referenced as priorities. Prepared in accordance with the requirement of the 2003 Arts Act this strategic arts plan will inform the development of Galway City Council’s arts service for the period 2010 to 2013. Ethos Service: The arts will be supported through strategic partnerships, and will be developed by focused direct provision through the arts service, working within the Councils existing policies of community development and social inclusion. Diversity: Support diversity of arts practices; from individual artists, arts companies Black Box Theatre White Lorg Artspace Room 2 1 St. Pat’s and communities who form a vital role in the quality of city life. Town 17 11 16 Hall University 15 Special Characteristics: