Batt O'Keeffe
Question:36 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht if he intends to designate Cork as a centre of excellence in the music industry. [7154/95]
Written Answers. - Centres of Excellence in Arts.
The question of the designation of centres of excellence in the arts in certain centres of population has been mooted by An Chomhairle Ealaíon in "The Arts Plan 1995-97" which was published recently and was the subject of statements in Dáil Éireann on 6 April 1995.
While the plan does not suggest the designation of Cork as a centre of excellence for music, page 52 argues for the city's designation as a centre of excellence for the visual arts on the following grounds:
To correct this imbalance and building on the reputation and achievement of the College of Art in Cork and the development of such a significant resource as the Crawford Art Gallery, Council intends to develop the city as a centre of excellence in this art form through a framework of support for the infrastructure which comprises the aforementioned Crawford Art Gallery; Triskel Arts Centre; the National Sculpture Factory, with a membership of 170 artists; Cork Printmaking, which aims to cater for 50-60 artists; the bronze casting foundry, proposing to cater for a similar number; Cork Arts Society; studios such as Backwater (22 artists), Cork artists' Collective (eight artists), Arthive, a venue which accommodates up to 30 artists as well as an exhibition space, and which offers a community programme, and the Sirius Trust in Cobh which currently administers an international residency programme. In addition, Cork Corporation has appointed an officer to promote the 1 per cent scheme and UCC has both an exhibition space and an arts officer.
I support the concept of the designation of centres of excellence for particular arts disciplines in centres of population. I am happy to assure the Deputy, however, that the designation of Cork as a centre of excellence for the visual arts will in no way restrict the dynamism and growth of music as an art from in that city, as articulated most forcefully by the Cork College of Music, the Cork Choral Festival, Cumann Náisiúnta na gCór, the Cork Orchestral Society, Eigse na Laoi, the Cork Music Resource Co-operative, the Irish Operatic Repertory Company and West Cork Chamber Music, all of which are assisted by An Chomhairle Ealaíon.
I am happy to take this opportunity to inform the House that the designation of centres of excellence is not intended, nor will it be, either elitist or exclusive. The designation of one arts discipline in a particular town or city will not preclude arts activity flourishing in other disciplines in the same location. Nor will it preclude the designated arts discipline for, say, Cork, being developed in other locations. "The Arts Plan 1995-97" is essentially aiming to enhance the overall cultural infrastructure of Cork city by placing a new and timely emphasis on the visual arts which, over time, will complement its rich tradition in the area of music and represent a further major attraction to Cork as a centre for tourism, for gainful employment, and for artistic expression of the highest quality in its own right.