7 January 1999 Edition
Arts Council decision challenged
The decision of the Arts Council to withdraw its funding for the four-day Draiocht West Belfast Children's Arts festival has been described as ``outrageous and disgraceful'' by Gerry Adams, MP for West Belfast.
Draiocht, the first children's festival in the Six Counties was first held last March to coincide with the historic St Patrick's Day carnival to Belfast City Hall. On the back of its success Feile an Phobail was able to secure three years funding for a children's arts worker from the BBC's Children in Need.
``This is a bitter blow to a festival which last March brought thousands of children in direct contact with the Arts,'' Gerry Adams said. ``The decision will raise serious questions in everyone's mind about the attitude of the Arts Council to community organised events, especially those which promote a sense of Irishness.''
The children's arts worker, Carol Moore, told An Phoblacht that Arts Council Chairman Brian Walker said that the loss of funding was linked to an ``overlap'' with the `Young at Art' festival at Queen's held in November, and not, as previously suggested, related to not justifying expenditure.
Moore said, ``Ours is a non-exclusive festival, a huge undertaking that will touch almost every part of Belfast. We are committed to fighting this decision and will appeal it. Whatever happens Draiocht will be going ahead this March.''
Meanwhile Sinn Fein's Culture and Arts spokesperson Barry McElduff led a delegation to meet with the Arts Council to discuss the development of the arts both North and South.
McElduff has called on the Arts Council to increase its capacity to respond to the growth in community arts.
He said, ``the specific areas we covered included the Council's strategy document, the urgency of incorporating TSN (Targeting Social Need) in a proactive way and the need to do more to stimulate the creative heart in both rural and urban communities.''
The Sinn Fein delegation also told the Arts Council that disparity in funding that sees the Belfast festival at Queen's get £680,000 funding and Feile an Phobail only £10,000 ``is a clear example where change is required.''
McElduff said that ``all-Ireland or cross-border development already has a substantial foundation and readily invites still greater development. We also discussed the structure, accountability and accessibility of the Council, perceptions that they concentrate on elite and exclusive `high brow' projects with limited popular interests, and the specific promotion of the Irish language.''
Draiocht, the first children's festival in the Six Counties was first held last March to coincide with the historic St Patrick's Day carnival to Belfast City Hall. On the back of its success Feile an Phobail was able to secure three years funding for a children's arts worker from the BBC's Children in Need.
``This is a bitter blow to a festival which last March brought thousands of children in direct contact with the Arts,'' Gerry Adams said. ``The decision will raise serious questions in everyone's mind about the attitude of the Arts Council to community organised events, especially those which promote a sense of Irishness.''
The children's arts worker, Carol Moore, told An Phoblacht that Arts Council Chairman Brian Walker said that the loss of funding was linked to an ``overlap'' with the `Young at Art' festival at Queen's held in November, and not, as previously suggested, related to not justifying expenditure.
Moore said, ``Ours is a non-exclusive festival, a huge undertaking that will touch almost every part of Belfast. We are committed to fighting this decision and will appeal it. Whatever happens Draiocht will be going ahead this March.''
Meanwhile Sinn Fein's Culture and Arts spokesperson Barry McElduff led a delegation to meet with the Arts Council to discuss the development of the arts both North and South.
McElduff has called on the Arts Council to increase its capacity to respond to the growth in community arts.
He said, ``the specific areas we covered included the Council's strategy document, the urgency of incorporating TSN (Targeting Social Need) in a proactive way and the need to do more to stimulate the creative heart in both rural and urban communities.''
The Sinn Fein delegation also told the Arts Council that disparity in funding that sees the Belfast festival at Queen's get £680,000 funding and Feile an Phobail only £10,000 ``is a clear example where change is required.''
McElduff said that ``all-Ireland or cross-border development already has a substantial foundation and readily invites still greater development. We also discussed the structure, accountability and accessibility of the Council, perceptions that they concentrate on elite and exclusive `high brow' projects with limited popular interests, and the specific promotion of the Irish language.''