Ms Tania Banotti:

All pots are bubbling. Regarding the Deputy's question about extending the season and online activity, it is a bit like the question of whether a tree falling in the forest makes a sound if nobody is there to hear it. Obviously, there will be a large amount of online content, but how will the public find that content and how can it be signposted if it is across a myriad of places? Having made the content, do people then know where it is? The Arts Council has been examining the idea of bringing all that content together under one website, which it would host. Those interested in seeing what artists were doing as a result of the pandemic would then have one place to go.

Deputy Matthews asked about the cost of the Fáilte Ireland campaign. Although Deputies are a sometimes little cynical, there is a need for eyeballs and to direct and tell people what is available. We must consider not only the making of the work, but also the platforming, showcasing and celebrating of that work. I know the Deputy is familiar with the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray. All the venues are looking at different ways of opening. Members will not be surprised to hear that I believe the arts community is incredibly resourceful. There is a sense among members of the arts community that they should just get started and see what is possible. This could be on the road or by opening venues that are closed to artists to start preparing and workshopping work that the public may not see until next year. When we talk about extending the season, there is the online season, the work being made now that will be made available digitally and, where spaces cannot be opened to the public for financial reasons, the option of using those spaces creatively as a resource for artists in different ways. There is a real commitment to consult artists about how to do that better.