Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media
Development of Local and Community Arts: Discussion
Mr. Bernard Joyce:
I will just to add to that point. There are very clear examples. I get the question in terms of community, which is what we are talking about. We are talking about community engagement and the arts. But in those spaces where there are community arts, Travellers can also be left behind. They are not participating and they are not part of the decision-making or they are not engaged. I refer to festivals such as the fleadh festivals that happen across the country. Travellers are not being targeted. They are not being engaged. There are local festivals in Meath, Cavan and elsewhere across the country where Travellers are not being targeted or approached. The festivals are not reaching out to local organisations. We are just talking about music, arts and storytelling. There is the Living History project in which Travellers showcase their culture. We are as much a part of the community as anybody else, so why does it become selective in terms of what we showcase? People showcase what they want to see or what they think is of value to them, but we are not seen in it and we do not participate in it. That is really important. I say that, not just about Travellers but other diverse minority ethnic groups as well.
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