In October, the Arts Council met with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The delegation comprised of Chairman Pat Moylan, Director Mary Cloake, actor Brendan Gleeson and writer Colum McCann, both of whom were funded by the Arts Council in the early stages of their careers.  Ms Moylan and her delegation presented a compelling case to the Committee for the continued support of the arts during the economic downturn.  The Arts Council’s press release and a full transcript of the meeting are available to read in this month’s edition.

Also this month, the Council launched a new arts and health programme entitled Vital Signs, which included a conference and an exhibition in five venues around Dublin 8. The programme sparked a host of lively discussion and interesting debate on the subject of arts and health; we include a round-up of the events that took place and have information on where subscribers can listen to podcasts of the conference, view the Vital Signs Twitter stream and read the commissioned opinion pieces.

We have some exciting updates from Arts Audiences: the recipients of the 'Build your Audience’ pilot project are announced and we include information on the Take Your Seat initiative, which aims to increase audiences in performing arts venues around the country.

This newsletter also includes information on Féach - furthering enterprise, arts, culture and heritage, an initiative set up in partnership with Meath County Council.  A think-tank meeting was held in October in the Solstice Arts Centre in Navan and the main topic of discussion was how to help local enterprises, arts organisations and their communities manage businesses through the recession. 

We have information on a call for a curator for the 12th Architectural Biennale in Venice 2010; and we include details on an exhibition which includes pieces that have resulted from the Artist in Prison scheme.

The newsletter ends on our regular articles on opportunities from the Cultural Contact Point and news from the arts community.

Mary Cloake

Director

The Chairman of the Arts Council, Ms Pat Moylan, has said it would be folly for the Government to treat the arts as some kind of luxury that would be easy to cut in a recession and has warned against "thoughtless hacking" at the Arts Council’s budget.

The Vital Signs programme took place in Dublin this month, and included a national conference, an exhibition and series of commissioned opinion pieces about arts and health practice. Vital Signs is an Arts Council initiative delivered in partnership with Create.

Arts Audiences are delighted to announce the successful applicants of the 'Build Your Audience' pilot project which will provide free expert tuition on arts marketing and audience development to three organisations.

Take Your Seat, is the name of a nationwide promotion aimed at encouraging people to attend performance art venues all around the country.

This month, the Arts Council announced an initiative which gives an opportunity for the arts and enterprise to work together.  Féach - furthering enterprise, arts, culture and heritage - took place in the Solstice Arts Centre in Navan.

The Irish Architecture Foundation, in partnership with Culture Ireland and the Arts Council announce a call for a curator for the Architectural Biennale in Venice 2010.

A new exhibition entitled OUT showcases some of the work that has resulted from the ‘Artists in Prison Scheme’, which is jointly funded by the Arts Council and the Irish Prison Services.

Opportunities from the arts community in October includes: a call for applications for the latest round of grants from Culture Ireland, and an opportunity for musicians to take part in the Association of Performing Presenters Conference (APAP) in New York.  We also include a notice on Many Mansions a new hand printed, limited edition of the publication by the Ireland Chair of Poetry Trust and Stoney Road Press.

News from the CCP in October includes: an extension to the Strand 2 deadline; an International Conference on Artistic Residencies and Eastern Res Artis; information on the 15th International Art Exhibition for Young People; a call for proposals for projects to be implemented in Istanbul; a congress to take place in Germany on ‘Soft Power’, Cultural Diplomacy and Interdependence; a call to take part in the European Youth Circus Festival; a new ‘Euro’ events calendar is launched and finally we have a reminder on the EACEA website.