Mr. Damien McGlynn:

I thank the Cathaoirleach, Deputies and Senators for the invitation to speak to the joint committee. I am the director of Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts. Create's mission is to lead the development of collaborative arts practice, enabling artists and communities to create exceptional art together. We have supported collaborative artists working across all art forms and context areas across Ireland for 40 years.

In our written submission to this committee, we explained the particular characteristics of collaborative arts within the spectrum of what we are discussing, which is community arts. We also detailed the ways in which this practice touches on any number of social issues and policy areas. We are happy to discuss this further but will proceed on the assumption that this context is broadly understood.

Create places a strong emphasis on the durational and relational nature of this work. Those who are experienced in this field understand the crucial relationships that are formed between collaborative artists and individuals or organisations. What is much more challenging is to sustain these relationships over time, largely due to the short-term nature of most arts funding, which is usually directed at projects rather than longer-term strategic work. Our own work in leading the pilot of the Arts Council's Creative Places programme in Tuam over the past four years has demonstrated the value in allocating more time and resources to this deep and meaningful work. Without this kind of stability, we can only ever scratch the surface of what can be achieved through collaborative and community arts.

Specifically on the subject of local government, we would welcome a review of the strategic position of arts within the local authority, building on the alliances created through the Creative Ireland programme in which individuals have collaborated cross-departmentally on planning and delivery. Recognising the breadth and importance of what is currently within the remit of the arts office and officers and giving this the internal status it requires would enable the work to be better understood and supported.

It is also important to recognise the limitations of what is possible in the programming and delivery of any local authority or arts office. Community arts should also be owned by the community itself. We would welcome a shift in approach to a more collaborative model in which local authorities focus on enabling others to operate in this space and facilitate or deliver excellent work, rather than putting the onus on arts office staff to deliver everything for everyone.

The issue of spaces for cultural activities comes up time and time again across the country, including through our work in Tuam. The model of a county arts centre is not without its merits, bringing high-quality facilities to the whole country, but people’s cultural lives are often experienced on a much more local level and the availability of necessary infrastructure is significantly lacking. The need for a network of accessible neighbourhood-level venues with reasonable facilities is clear.