Arts Council refusal makes no sense
I am the centre's manager. In spite of the many literary initiatives the centre has come up with, the Arts Council seems determined not to fund us.
The council for some time has been reluctant officially to recognise independent arts projects, preferring to pump funding into organisations under whose roof the council believes all arts disciplines can be housed.
Is it about control?
One is reminded that the Académie Francaise originated with the redoubtable Cardinal Richelieu who thought to tame a regular drawing-room meeting of politically-suspect writers by offering the participants pensions and opportunities to expand their activities.
In any case, I feel that for some time the Arts Council has not readily welcomed independent arts activities. This is part of a broader argument. The refusal of the Arts Council to fund the Western Writers' Centre makes no sense to anyone.
If they don't want us in Galway, why don't they say so? If they have some other agenda, why can't they be frank about it? If Galway's efforts to establish a writers' centre are being hindered by some sort of arts politicking, we have a right to know the details and so have the people of Galway.
Fred Johnston
1 Carn Árd
Circular Road
Galway
