Good evening everyone
The Arts Council for N Ireland launched its ’10-Year Strategic Plan [2023-2034] – TheArts In Northern Ireland’ in January this year, with it closing its doors for comments in early April for comments.
Unfortunately, I only got to hear of it after the comments closure, so I have decided to put my thoughts on it here:
I’ve now read with interest the 10-Year Strategic Plan [2024-2034] – The Arts In Northern Ireland, but I believe that a fundamental area is missing, that is education in schools. Yes, various organisations have put in place band-aids to try and help the flow of art education, i.e.
- Creativity and the arts in the curriculum
- Creative Schools Programme
but fundamentally the problem is that the Government (both in Westminster and at Stormont) does not value the Arts (unless they are paying for expensive seats in theatres etc) and the Art in Education in particular. In the past the ordinary person had access to arts both in terms of going to watch and listen, but also in terms of participating in locally run courses in schools and colleges. (both for academic qualifications and also for personal development). Organisations such as the Workers Education Association (now defunct in Northern Ireland, due to government funding being withdrawn for all of its huge range of courses (including e.g. Fiances for running WEA Groups, Finances for Homesheds (both of which I have written courses for)); or the Crescent Arts Centre, which like so many other organisations have had successive cuts to its finances, and has had to reduce its offering accordingly, but manfully keeps on trying.
Art education is fundamental to all of us and the desired outcomes such as personal development or entrepreneurship cannot develop without that continuance from Primary to High School.
If you check the current University of Ulster’s School of Art, its courses range from BA, BDes, MA, MFA; I believe that before it became a university it offered courses of a shorter period which enabled people from other walks of life to dip into art and develop abilities – university degrees are not for everyone, and indeed generally cannot be afforded by most!
I have discovered several avenues for my art, Dermot Cavanagh, a local artist who runs courses locally and online, and also Art Class Belfast, but it took time and no little effort. I know that there are amateur art groups such as:
- Bangor Art Club which was founded in 1952
- New Lodge Arts
- Jordanstown Art Club was established approximately 30 years ago
- Antrim Art Club which was established in 1951
- Carrickfergus Art Club which was established in 1977
- Art Class Belfast
- Belfast Art Group
and they do a wonderful job, but some would like the regime of a classroom environment with a teacher. I did check an online GCSE in Art costs £999 over two years – more thought needs to occur within the Arts Council, and the government needs to do some proper joined-up thinking = something which it has lacked for the last 10+ years.
- Public consultation on the ACNI new ten-year strategy (2024 to 2034)
- 2017 – Royal Ulster Academy of Arts Exhibition
- Outburst Queer Arts Festival
- Ulster University – Belfast School of Art