Ms Maria Elena Costa Sa:

On behalf of the members of the Irish Network Against Racism, INAR, I thank the committee for the invitation to contribute today.

Despite the heart-warming diversity we see around us on the streets of Ireland our arts, culture and sports have been slow to truly reflect our multifaceted society. In Ireland, 17.8% of the population identify as something other than white Irish. This includes people from ethnic and racialised minorities, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ people, those living in poverty, and some of our quarter of a million children. Our equality statistics and iReport data show a society grappling with everyday discrimination yet we know that arts, culture and sport have countered this, reminding society of the value and enrichment that our diverse voices bring to Ireland.

The human right to participate in the cultural life of communities and the principles of non-discrimination are echoed in the Arts Council’s Equality, Human Rights and Diversity Policy and Strategy. The right to participate in culture also underpins the new national arts policy, Culture 2025. According to Creative Ireland creativity contributes to individual and societal well-being, bringing cohesion and a flourishing democracy. However, the State’s good intentions sometimes founder in a policy-rich and action-poor landscape, where funding can be critiqued as scattergun and piecemeal. Our communities require meaningful engagement by the State to ground these policies in legislation and in action plans that breathe life into our visionary public sector duty. All Departments and bodies that receive State funding, including the Arts Council, should show how they meet this duty to promote equality and eliminate discrimination. Public work should also mirror the intersectional diversity and richness of our communities.

There is still little official research on diversity in Irish publishing, arts and media, particularly viewed through the lens of researchers from those communities. However, enterprises like Skein Press demonstrate that even if small-scale, operating to tight budgets and working with a niche profile, it is possible to create beautiful works that tell the tales of our lives. While some publishing houses have specific policy statements encouraging submissions from minority ethnic communities, the mainstream has far to go. Regarding the media, a Maynooth study showed that many independent production companies wanted to generate change. The writers’ and directors’ guilds understand the need to diversify membership, and Screen Producers Ireland noted that more work is needed.

Our research shows that there is little meaningful inclusion and representation in the Irish arts, literary, publishing and media sector which results in fewer writers, creatives or other professionals being employed from under-represented backgrounds and communities. This needs to change to ensure that the cultural lens reflects today’s diverse Ireland. I will now outline a number of key considerations for local and community arts policy making and funding which are recorded in the National Action Plan Against Racism, NAPAR, the shadow NAPAR, and the INAR submission to this committee. Minority ethnic researchers should report on the barriers to access and inclusion for writers, artists, creatives, sports people and those in related professions from traditionally under-represented backgrounds. This research should inform policy making and create measurable actions. We need positive action measures that would bring a radical change to the industry by creating diversity in these sectors, bringing professionals and creatives from backgrounds traditionally under-represented to work in the Irish arts, literary, media and sports sectors, particularly when employed at decision making levels. The racial equality officers mentioned in the NAPAR who will fund projects must be internally supported by high-level decision makers, including those recruited from minority ethnic communities, to create institutional change. Minority ethnic communities' experience of discrimination within the tourism industry is a largely unexplored area and warrants further peer research and cross-departmental collaboration with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Sustained investment in writers, artists, creatives, and related professions, would give a voice to the lives of racialised minorities and under-represented groups and allow Ireland to meet obligations listed in the International Convention of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Data needs to be collected systematically to track current investment in diversity in the arts, culture and sports and measure impact and outcomes, to inform future policy direction and funding. The media should consider ethnic and racial diversity in its programming and add this as a criterion for funding. We need local and national grants and programmes that are underpinned by a community development ethos and nurture and capacity build minority ethnic talent, particularly in young people, over the long term. Peer mentoring programmes like Play It Forward are strong models to follow, forging common bonds between people.