Irish arts sector ‘risks death without State aid’

Cork Opera House have been forced to cancel their summer musical, as well as many other major scheduled events

The arts and culture sector needs immediate and direct government support to help it survive the coronavirus lockdown, the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA) has warned.

The sector will be the last to return to full capacity, with thousands of events already cancelled. The economic impact of the shutdown to date is estimated at more than €10m.

NCFA has presented a 13-step plan for the survival and recovery of the arts and culture sectors.

The volunteer-led group said organisations are losing €2.9m per month during the shutdown.

It estimates that 19,000 days of paid work were lost before the end of April 2020, and a potential income of €6.4m will be lost from cancelled activities by the end of May.

More than 12,000 events have been cancelled and, in just eight weeks, more than 2.4m people have “lost out on artistic experiences”.

The Government’s ban on large events — those of more than 5,000 capacity — remains in place until the end of August, but smaller events and venues are struggling to adapt too.

Their new reality is likely to involve social distancing to some degree and many festivals, such as the Cork Midsummer Festival, have had to cancel their entire slate already.

Even large events planned for later in the year, such as the Cork Opera House summer musical, have been cancelled as cast members and crew cannot rehearse or build sets.

NCFA’s 13-point plan urges the government to invest some €20m in the Arts Council this year to support artists and organisations.

The NCFA is also calling for the Covid-19 unemployment payment to be extended until it is viable for arts and cultural events to take place. Some 14,000 people in the arts sector are receiving this payment.

The group also wants some of the European Commission’s emergency funds to be reserved for the arts and culture sector, and says the next government needs greater input from those in the arts, including specific advisors from the area.

A series of medium and longer-term proposals are pitched too, including the simplification of the Arts Council grants application scheme and the introduction of tax incentives to boost investment in the area.

NCFA also calls for the refund of public liability and employers’ liability insurance where events have been cancelled.

“A failure to invest equitably in the arts at this crucial juncture in recovery planning will seal the decimation of an industry that asks little and offers much,” NCFA said.

“There will be an irretrievable loss of wisdom and skills, and any recovery will be a journey that many, if not most, in the sector will be unable to undertake or sustain.

“Artists will be unable to create, arts workers will be forced out of the industry and likely never return, arts organisations will close their doors, and Ireland’s artistic output will stagnate.

“If we allow the arts to be left behind as we move to rebuild Ireland, attempts to restimulate the arts and culture sector down the line will be unachievable; there will be far too little left for any meaningful revival of the ecosystem that salves, sustains and sells our country.”