I propose to take questions Nos. 118 to 122, inclusive, together.
Dublin Contemporary 2011 (DC2011) is the largest contemporary visual art event of its kind and scale ever held in Ireland. Its mission is to create a dynamic experience of contemporary visual art within the specific cultural context of Dublin that resonates both locally and globally. Ireland has a unique cultural brand that is globally recognised and Dublin needs to be reinforced as an open, vibrant city that attracts and retains talented people, where creativity and innovation are encouraged and where leading companies want to invest.
DC2011 previewed on 5th September and is due to run until the 31st October. In its first month, it has already attracted much favourable media coverage — both at home and abroad — and it has also been critically well received. DC2011 aims to bring key cultural institutions across the city together with private galleries and public realm art installations to create the critical mass of a truly city-wide exhibition. The primary DC2011 site or hub is situated at Earlsfort Terrace within the grounds of the National Concert Hall. The use of the Earlsfort Terrace site for the exhibition was agreed with the Office of Public Works, which owns the site.
In addition to this core site, further DC2011 exhibitions are hosted at the Hugh Lane Gallery, Douglas Hyde Gallery, National Gallery of Ireland and the Royal Hibernian Academy. Agreements to hosts exhibition at these venues were negotiated between the DC2011 and individual management of the galleries concerned. In the case of the National Gallery of Ireland agreement was finalised in July of this year.
Responsibility for the development, management and delivery of DC2011 rests with the St. Patrick's Festival which was established in 1995 as Féilte Dhuibh Linne Teoranta, a company limited by guarantee and set up by Government to run major cultural events. The programme budget for DC2011 is of the order of €4m. This budget is to be met through a mix of revenues from ticket sales and merchandising, sponsorship, philanthropy and Exchequer support. To date in 2011, €1.16m has been paid by my Department in respect of the DC2011 programming budget. Once final costs, revenues and incomes are determined and audited, the full Exchequer contribution to the programming costs will be finalised.
