Catherine Martin TD An tAire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt & Meán: Tuarascáil Is Breá a Bheith Beo

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Any artist will tell you that putting the spotlight on your ideas, your inner thoughts, your own creativity, can often require personal strength.

The French painter Henri Matisse, known for his use of colour, once commented that ‘creativity takes courage’. And how right he was.

And during a pandemic, challenges in creating must be appreciated even more.

This country has produced some of the world’s most valued artists and performers. And during these dark days of Covid-19, our artists still strive to do that which they love so much: to create.

But the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce report that we launch here today sheds light on a dire crisis that the sector now faces and which requires action.

I set the taskforce up in September to look across culture, the arts, the audio-visual industry, live performance and the events industry in the not-for-profit and commercial sectors. This is the first time groups across the sectors have come together.

I met with the Taskforce at the start of its work and was struck both by the members’ dedication and the seriousness of the situation facing the sector.

It is now accepted that the impact of the pandemic will last longer for the thousands that work in arts and culture than any other.

I welcome the recommendations today from the taskforce, which was so ably chaired by Clare Duignan, and which included artists, representative bodies and officials not just from my department but from across government.

I note that the taskforce met numerous times and considered nearly 40 submissions and representations from practitioners across all sectors.

They have been subject to a challenging deadline but have produced their report in a matter of weeks and I am very grateful to all of the members for their energy, commitment, and insights.

The report outlines how these sectors face enormous challenges, including how and when to reopen venues and restart performances. Crucially, the report asks how our artists can survive until sectors open up again, especially amid fears that many, with no choice, could abandon their professions.

Ireland’s freelance community, including musicians and artists, have seen their incomes disappear; performers have no audiences which help inspire creativity; cultural spaces, concert halls and galleries remain empty and the lights have been turned off for the live events sector.

During my first few months as a minister, I have heard first hand from groups in these sectors about how the pandemic has damaged their livelihoods and about the need for tailored supports. I met representative bodies including the National Campaign for the Arts, Event Industry Ireland, Screen Producers Ireland, a number of National Cultural Institutions and the Arts Council among others.

I have endeavoured to be their voice at the Cabinet table, raising the plight of the arts, culture and event sectors with my government colleagues.

This has led to progress and commitments, including structural supports, emergency financial injections for areas under my remit as a minister as well as innovative schemes which have been inundated with demand.

Some €25m was provided in June, including €20m for the Arts Council, as well as additional supports for regional museums; A further €29m was announced in the July Stimulus, including additional funding for the Arts Council, Screen Ireland, National Cultural Institutions, a music stimulus, and for supports for live performance.

Significant additional funding was announced in Budget 2021 with €130m allocated to the Arts Council for 2021, and €50m for supports for live performance;

Aside from direct supports from my department, tens of millions of euro in support has been provided to those impacted in the arts, culture, performance and events sectors through the Pandemic Unemployment Scheme and through various Wage Subsidy Schemes;

Some within the sector have also availed of commercial rates waivers and may avail of the CRSS which supports venues forced to shut their doors or where events are curtailed.

Implementation/recovery

I established the taskforce to develop a clear approach, informed by the views of all stakeholders, to protect and sustain the arts and culture sector through the COVID-19 recovery and beyond. This will be

fed into our national recovery.

Many measures recommended in the report are not just for survival but for a robust recovery and one that can be sustained.

Others will help artists, entertainers and technical professionals during and after the pandemic with training and wellbeing supports.

The report makes recommendations for mechanisms to try and help the arts and culture sectors survive through the pandemic, such as reimagining public and private spaces.

A key recommendation is to pilot a Universal Basic Income scheme for three years in the Arts, Culture, Audio Visual and Live Performance and Events Sectors.

There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to assess a pilot UBI and one that is informed by a review of previous international models. Under the coalition commitments, this would result in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government.

The call for a basic income level scheme for the Arts, Culture and Live Events sectors, was also supported by all members.

Other financial interventions and supports recommended by the taskforce will be followed up by my department with counterparts in government.

The government is also finalising its national recovery plan in the weeks ahead and I have asked my Cabinet colleagues to consider the taskforce’s report as part of those preparations.

The taskforce has also suggested the establishment of a cross sectoral oversight group to oversee and monitor the implementation of this report. This is something my officials have already begun progressing.

Some of the taskforce’s recommendations also fall under the responsibility of other departments or bodies. I intend to see that they follow up on those.

While we admire and praise the courage of artists to continue creating during this pandemic, sentiment alone is not enough.

The founding father of the European Union, Jean Monnet, is famously said to have declared, “If I were starting again, I would start with culture”.

Ní neart go cur le chéile

Artists, musicians, crews and creators need our solidarity now. And I intend to see that the arts, culture and live events sectors and the recommendations from this taskforce are represented at the start and woven into our national recovery.