Written answers
Tuesday, 24 September 2024
Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Arts Policy
Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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212. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will increase funding for youth theatres at a local level in Budget 2025, to support the development of youth theatre activities and the holistic growth of young people in communities across Ireland (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37955/24]
Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Primary support for the arts, including theatre, is delivered by the Arts Council, funding for which has increased steadily in recent years and reached a record €134 million in 2024. The Arts Council, which is independent in its funding decisions under the Arts Act 2003, operates within a published ten-year strategic framework entitled Making Great Art Work. The Arts Council supports and develops youth theatre in Ireland through grant funding, project awards, support to individual artists, and support to venues. Further details can be accessed on the Arts Council’s decisions database which gives a listing of 2008–2023 Arts Council funding decisions as follows; www.artscouncil.ie/funding-decisions/
Since 2017, the all-of government Creative Ireland Programme, led by my Department, has sought to enable individuals realise their full creative potential. Extended to 2027, the Programme includes the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027, supporting innovative programmes to embed creativity into the heart of young people’s lives.
Between 2017 and 2024, over €450,000 was allocated by my Department to Youth Theatre Ireland to invest in developing:
- The establishment of a Special Projects Officer role to progress youth theatre development and training;
- An Employee Assistance Programme for young people and leaders in youth theatre;
- A local partnership model for youth theatre development;
- Enhanced youth theatre recruitment through a national campaign and roadshow;
- Accredited training for leaders;
- Seed funding and establishment of youth theatres in underserved areas;
- Support for youth theatres to re-open and re-engage members post COVID-19;
- A Wellbeing Programme for leaders and participants;
- Support for the National Youth Theatre.
Creative Youth will continue to support drama and theatre activities for young people across the island of Ireland under a number of the Nurture Fund and Shared Island projects throughout 2025, and the work of the Local Creative Youth Partnerships based in 7 Education and Training Boards.
Under Creative Ireland’s Creative Communities initiative, annual funding is provided to local authorities’ Culture and Creativity Teams to implement their individual Culture and Creativity Strategies 2023-2027. Many of the teams allocate funding to support local theatre companies and venues, including youth theatres. In addition, since 2022 the Creative Communities delivery of Cruinniú na nÓg has supported Youth Theatre Ireland’s taster workshops to encourage the participation of young people in local communities.
Youth theatre funding provided by local authority arts programmes is subject of the annual budgetary process, as well as to the internal procedures of local authorities for the allocation of the annual budget.
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