Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

On 14 September last, which was designated as culture night, key artistic and cultural venues in Dublin City, including the national cultural institutions, extended their opening hours until late in the evening. This provided the public with increased access to the various collections, workshops and other events hosted by the institutions.

My Department provided €15,000 and €35,000 in 2006 and 2007 respectively to Temple Bar Cultural Trust, the co-ordinators of the Dublin event, for costs associated with that event. Arising from a request by my Department, the proposal by Temple Bar Cultural Trust for the 2007 funding included an undertaking to investigate the possible extension of the culture night model to areas outside Dublin.

An important element of the success of the culture night concept is the concentration of cultural organisations. In areas where there is a vibrant hub of cultural facilities and a broad cultural offering, the event attracts a much greater level of public participation. I understand that preliminary discussions have taken place between Temple Bar Cultural Trust and local authorities in Cork, Galway and Limerick. A meeting has also taken place between the trust and representatives from the cultural community in Belfast with a view to launching a North-South culture night co-operation project for 2009.

Culture night in Dublin promotes access to and participation in the cultural life of the city. The event attracted more than 50,000 people in 2007, 64% of whom visited cultural organisations for the first time. Another major success was the large number of children, young people and active retired who participated in the event. If the culture night initiative were adopted by other cities or towns, it could support existing arts and cultural development strategies.

A key factor in the establishment of culture night in Dublin was the partnering of the cultural community with the business community, and the active participation of the tourism and transportation bodies. The extension of culture night to other cities and towns would require a similar commitment to the event from these communities and bodies.

The decision to host a culture night event is, ultimately, a matter for individual local authorities. To date, my Department has not received proposals from any organisation outside Dublin regarding such events. However, I can assure the Deputy that any proposals submitted on this matter will be considered.

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