Written answers

Tuesday, 21 June 2022

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Culture Policy

Photo of Joe CareyJoe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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22. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the plans that are in place for culture night 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32247/22]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Culture Night is the annual all-island event which celebrates culture, creativity and the arts. The seventeenth edition of Culture Night will take place on Friday 23 September 2022.   Culture Night is managed by the Arts Council in continued collaboration with the local authorities. It is delivered nationwide in cities, towns, villages and rural locations as well as online and through media partners.  As in previous years, RTE the national broadcaster will be involved in coverage of Culture Night.    Although all activities are made available to the public free of charge, artists and performers are paid. 

A dedicated website will host a comprehensive list of events in every county as well as details of how to get involved. It also invites sign-up to a Culture Night newsletter and Deputy Carey would find it convenient to register to receive updates and details of Culture Night as well as the times of the RTÉ coverage.  The website is culturenight.ie/.

This year the Arts Council has made an open call for submissions in order to provide funding to number of flagship Culture Night Late events.  These will take place in urban towns and cities with a population size of over 15,000.  The initiative, funded by the Council and managed by Milestone Inventive the national Culture Night Coordinators, has been developed in response to the changing needs of the arts sector and in line with the government’s commitments outlined in the Report of the Late Night Economy Taskforce. This initiative seeks to build upon the success of the 2021 Culture Night Pilot late night events and recognises the distinctive need to develop and diversify the artistic and cultural offerings of the Night-time economy.

Ahead of Culture Night 2022, the Arts Council hosted a series of nationwide meetings to share the findings from its research report and the post event analysis from 2021. These meetings offer a forum for engagement with Culture Night organisers to learn about emerging trends from organisers, audiences and artists.

I understand that the Arts Council is also hosting a series of webinars throughout June and July for event organisers aimed at preparing for Culture Night 2022.

Participation for local groups and communities is through the local authorities Arts Offices that oversee the organisation of the programme of events in every county.

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