Dr. Ailbhe Murphy:

I am glad to be able to speak to this question. On Friday week, I will travel to the Skibereen arts centre in Uillinn where the new MA in art and environment will be launched. This is its first year. I think Ms McLaughlin is familiar with the course. It is offered globally so that students from anywhere in the world can participate. The idea eventually will be that the work will be developed in virtual space. On top of all the learning to which Ms Ní Choncubhair has referred, there are also new paths emerging. Many artists or students who cannot physically access these courses can participate, negotiate and co-create with their peers in any number of different parts of the world. There is an entire third life in the virtual world that the arts are exploring and are interested in. That is worth supporting because it creates greater accessibility. The danger, of course, is that it becomes a substitute for the real tactile experience. All of the responsibilities and work that my colleagues are speaking to in respect of the accessibility of physical spaces must continue and accelerate. However, there is no doubt but that the virtual and digital are new worlds that are interesting and dynamic for artistic and cultural production.