February saw the Arts Council starting work on ‘Arts Audiences’, a project devised and managed by the Arts Council and Temple Bar Cultural Trust.  The project seeks to clarify and address issues around audience development and experience in the arts, recognising the importance of maximising engagement with, and revenue from, audiences in times of an economic downturn.

A new liaison group has been formed between the Arts Council and the County and City Managers’ Association, which seeks to establish greater co-operation and partnership, to secure all that has been achieved in local arts development over the past twenty years.

In addition, we have made plans to redevelop the publicart.ie website.  This dynamic new site will act as a tremendous information resource, and will feature a great range of public art projects taking place all around the country.

Elsewhere in the newsletter, we have news of changes that have taken place in the Deis scheme for 2009; we update readers on progress with the Reel Art awards, and announce Dublin City Council’s new Filmmaker in Residence. 

Finally, closing the newsletter are our regular articles from the Cultural Contact Point and news from the arts community.

Mary Cloake
Director

Work is beginning on 'Arts Audiences', a project devised and managed by the Arts Council and Temple Bar Cultural Trust. 

A new liasion group has been formed between the Arts Council and the County and City Managers' Association, to establish greater co-operation and partnership in securing all that has been achieved in local arts development over the past twenty years.

The Arts Council, with the support of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, is currently redeveloping the publicart.ie website.

The traditional arts community are reminded that there have been some changes to the Deis scheme, most notably in regards to the funding of recording projects and CD production.

Reel Art is an Arts Council scheme designed to provide film artists with an opportunity to make highly creative and imaginative documentaries on an artistic theme.

Dublin City Council, in association with the Arts Council, has announced that filmmaker Joe Lee has been selected as Dublin City Council's filmmaker in residence.

Opportunities in the arts community in February include a invitation for submissions for the 2009 Dublin Fringe Festival; a music recording assistance opportunity from Dublin City Council in partnership with axis arts & community resource centre, Ballymun; and details about a National Music Symposium which will compile and present findings from the research report Local Authorities & Music: Knowing the Score. 

News from the CCP in February includes: further EU cultural co-operation with Mexico; information on EU co-operation with Russia; a deadline for the EU Youth in Action Programme; a call for proposals for 'Preparatory Actions MEDIA International'; an announcement on the finalists for the Mies van der Rohe Award; an information day on European Capitals of Culture; a conference report on intercultural dialogue and digital culture; a paper of creativity and innovation; an IETM spring plenary meeting and details on the International Conference of National Trusts.