Ms Anna Walsh:

The Theatre Forum thanks the committee for the opportunity to discuss how arts venues could be best supported to respond to the challenges they are facing as a result of Covid-19. As we emerge from this crisis, which has affected everyone and every sector, there is an opportunity not just to reopen the arts and culture sector, but to build it better and more sustainably. It is crucial to protect our arts sector and artists, and ensure that years of investment, experience and artist support infrastructure in arts venues are not lost. This committee has an opportunity to influence the alignment of arts and culture policy with the national development plan, NDP, to draw together a capital and programme investment plan to evolve arts venues as a key arts channel to contribute to Ireland’s societal recovery and enrich all our lives.

For the sector's survival, the commitment from the Government and the Revenue Commissioners that the employer wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, will remain in place until the year end, when, hopefully, audience capacities and box office income are restored, is very welcome. For its future viability, longer-term funding models with key funders, particularly local authorities and the Arts Council, would enable arts venues to better plan projects and programmes, deepen engagement with artists, audiences and their communities and foster collaborations with more communities of interest that would continue beyond the limitations of sporadic projects in a 12-month funding cycle. Arts venues could also take a lead in how climate and environmental issues can be addressed, through promoting sustainability by energy efficiency changes to their buildings, working more sustainably as well as being places and spaces from which artists and communities co-create their sustainable futures. Venues are also ideally positioned to offer quality work opportunities and pay artists and arts workers in their own locality. If arts venues move to longer-term financial planning cycles, this would enable them to make the working lives of artists and arts workers less precarious and more sustainable.

Arts venues work purposefully for, in and with their communities.

Arts venues work purposely for, in and with their communities. They can improve access, be inclusive and celebrate diversity in their programmes, activities and events. A systematic approach to support arts venues to broaden and deepen their remit as safe workplaces for artists to engage with audiences of all ages, abilities, orientation and ethnicity would create the much-needed energy and vibrancy to help rebuild our society. We ask the committee to lend and garner support for arts venues in a number of key areas. These are aligning policy, purpose and investment, securing support to ensure the survival and future financial viability of arts venues, and promoting sustainability through arts venues. We believe these supports will put and keep arts venues at the heart of their communities.