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Arts Promotion

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 May 2013

Thursday, 30 May 2013

Ceisteanna (22, 24, 28, 30, 171)

Dessie Ellis

Ceist:

22. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount of money his Department has allocated for 2013 for the arts in education programme; if he will provide specific details of the way the money will be spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26100/13]

Amharc ar fhreagra

John McGuinness

Ceist:

24. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to require artists to donate their labour for free in order to receive State funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26125/13]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

28. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he has received any report from the high level implementation group set up to oversee the implementation of the arts in education charter; if he will publish the reports of the implementation group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26242/13]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

30. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress that has been made to date on the implementation of the arts in education charter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26241/13]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

171. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he directly or bodies under his aegis have been successful in the promotion of the arts directly or through interaction with schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26511/13]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 24, 28, 30 and 171 together.

In January last the Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, TD, and I jointly launched the Arts in Education Charter. This Charter places new responsibilities on Government Departments, agencies, cultural institutions and arts organisations in terms of providing and promoting arts education to children and young people. This Charter has been agreed by both Ministers. Minister Quinn and I believe passionately in arts education and want to see a joined-up Government approach across Departments, education agencies and arts organisations. The charter will see organisations like the Arts Council, the National Cultural Institutions, the Colleges of Education and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment working with both Departments in order to bring the arts into the classroom and learners into the institutes for the arts.

A High Level Implementation Group was established to oversee the implementation of the Art in Education Charter earlier in the year and it will report twice a year. The Implementation Group is chaired by Professor John Coolahan, Professor Emeritus, NUI Maynooth. It membership includes Orlaith McBride, Director of the Arts Council, Mary Nunan, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Alan Wall Director, Department of Education and Skills and Niall O Donnchú, Assistant Secretary, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The Group has met on a number of occasions and has been proactive in meeting organisations from both the arts and education sectors. Progress is being made on a number of initiatives including developing a website / portal as a key communications and information channel for both the education and arts sectors. Suitable models for Art Rich Schools and for artists become involved in the programme are also being examined by the Arts Council and this Group.

There is no specific funding provision in my Department's Vote for arts in education this year. However, the Deputies may be aware that in May 2012 I announced the introduction of a new philanthropic initiative on a pilot basis for arts and culture organisations. The initiative - the Philanthropic Leverage Initiative - was designed to encourage philanthropic sponsorship and endowment of the arts from private sources. The initiative, established in 2012 provides an incentive to arts organisations to proactively seek new funding relationships with sponsors which deliver private sector financial support, thereby increasing overall funding available to the arts. The initiative proved very successful with a multiplier of 4.26 in philanthropic donations being leveraged for the arts. The arts got a boost of over €1 million last year, of which less than one-fifth came from the public purse.

This year, €210,000 will be available to arts organisations under the scheme and the majority of the Philanthropy Initiative funding will be directed towards arts and culture organisations seeking support for projects that include an education component. The application form includes a provision that in the event of multiple applications competing for limited grant allocation, priority will be given to Arts in Education projects aimed at disadvantaged (DEIS) schools. In 2013, it is hoped that the Philanthropy Initiative, while continuing to provide an incentive to arts organisations to engage in fund-raising, will also encourage arts and culture organisations to engage creatively with children and young people and add to their education.

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