10. 2. The Petition
so members of the public could join in
CEOs of the National
Theatre, Irish Film
Institute & Improvised
Music Company deliver
the 10,000 signatures to
Arts Minister
11. 3. Irish Parliament
Actors Brendan Gleeson & Gabriel Bryne, author Colum
McCann, Director of the Arts Council & National Theatre
12. The Results at the end of 2009
• Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland are not
abolished or merged
• Arts Council budget cut by 6% to €69 million –
a lot less than feared
• Film Board, Museum of Modern Art, National
Concert Hall cut by between 4%- 5%
14. NCFA Key Demands
• Maintain current levels of funding to Arts
Council, Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland
• Make significant new finding available to build
on the cultural tourism potential
• Protect municipal funding to the arts
• Local/regional demands (where appropriate)
16. National Day of Action
• We focussed our efforts on meeting members
of Parliament all over the country on the
same day. This helped mobilise the arts
community. We chose the day carefully for
maximum impact
• We ran 15 media events around the country
to highlight the fact that these meetings we
taking place
20. Our Online Campaign began in 2010
• This is an area that has been particularly
successful for us
• 11,000 emails sent from our new website in 2
months.
• Some great short films were made and viewed
www.ncfa.ie
• We used Twitter effectively. #ncfa – hash tag
@campaign4arts - has 4,000 followers
24. What were the issues facing us at
start of 2011?
• The general election is an opportunity – how
do we use it?
• Finances –How do we fund the NCFA?
• Who is the campaign? It was initially
envisaged as arts orgs and individuals working
in the arts. Now it’s broader. How do we
represent this?
• Do we have everyone’s ‘buy-in’?
27. Post election - refocus
• After the election we met 83 MPs & 5
Senators
• 53 were new MPs (70% of total number of
new TDs)
• Our arts Minister asked us to meet Minister
for Finance
• We focussed on local/regional arts funding for
the first time
28. Our Message
We believe in a society that values
creativity, imagination and expression.
We believe that the arts enrich our lives.
We believe that everyone should have the
opportunity to participate in and enjoy the
arts .
National Campaign for the Arts 2011
29. Our Objective
To capture more fully the value of the arts
in Ireland, working hand in hand with the
arts sector, artists, the public, and
Government
To work with others to build an evidence
base that will inform policy and allow the
arts to innovate and reach a wider audience
To build a deeper understanding of the
mutual values of the arts and education and
seek means to embed the arts in education
30. Our ask
• Continue to invest in the arts through funding the
Arts Council, Culture Ireland and the Irish Film Board
• Embed the arts within the curriculum at both
primary and secondary level
• Promote active collaboration between
government departments specifically Education,
Environment, Tourism as well as Enterprise and
Innovation
• Create a culture of philanthropy
32. Short-term goals
• Put in place an appropriate structure
• Raise money over the next three years
• Devise and implement a campaign to maintain current
levels of funding for the arts through the Department of
Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht and municipalities
• Devise ways and means to commission and fund the necessary
research programmes to evidence our case for the arts
• Develop and broaden our networks to increase our
influence and impact
33. Long-term goals
• Get the arts solidly on the political agenda
• Equip politicians and other stakeholders to engage fully in
our agenda
• Lobby for the development of a National Cultural Plan
• Alter for the better, public perception of the importance,
place and value of the arts - in partnership with the Irish
Arts Council
• Advocate for the provision of a culturally complete life
for children
34. Advocacy and campaigning – our success in
2011 & early 2012
ü Held general election hustings
ü Met 70% of new Members of Parliament in nationwide
‘Meet and Greet’ & briefed Senators
ü Lobbying key Ministers in cabinet
ü Held Presidential election hustings
ü Lobbying City and County Managers
X Starting to lobby Local Councillors
X Engaging the general public
35. 2012 brought new challenges
• Change in key people
• The EU/IMF bailout requires ‘public sector reform’:
Cultural Institutions are in the firing line again
• More cuts are on the way. How to maintain momentum
when people are de-motivated by four years of funding
cuts?
• How to fund the campaign ?
36. What did we learn?
There are two jobs :
1. ‘Inwards’ towards the arts community,
• It takes time to mobilise different art forms.
• Use umbrella & resource organisations as vehicles for getting the word
out to as many artists and organistions as possible
• Use the skills of the arts community: our creativity & passion.
• Need to continue to engage and mobilise people – email updates, thank
people, trumpeting our sucesses. Building up contact database is key
• Need to give people lots of tools – sample letters, lobbying training
37. What de we learn?
2. Facing outwards to politicians & the media
• Know the political timetable - when is it best to put pressure
• We won’t control the message - local & regional variations & different
messengers. This can be a problem
• Use our positivity and creativity in eye catching ways
• Listen & understand politicians concerns & interest – not all one way
communication
• We have friends in the media – use them !
