Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaking at the launch of “Creative Ireland.” RollingNews.ie photo
By Irish Echo Staff
Taoiseach Enda Kenny today launched “Creative Ireland,” described as the Irish government’s “Legacy Programme for Ireland 2016.”
The initiative, according to a government release, is a “five-year all-of-government initiative, from 2017 to 2022, which at its core is a wellbeing strategy which aims to improve access to cultural and creative activity in every county across the country.”
Mr. Kenny was joined at the launch in Dublin by Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys, and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe.
The ceremony took place in the newly-restored Shaw Room of the National Gallery of Ireland.
Creative Ireland (in Irish Clár Éire Ildánach) will, the release stated, prioritize children’s access to art, music, drama and coding, enhance the provision of culture and creativity in every community, further develop Ireland as a global hub for film and TV production, empower and support Irish artists and drive investment in cultural institutions and also further enhance Ireland’s global reputation abroad. From 2018, an annual County of Culture will also be held each year.
Creative Ireland, the release added, is built around five pillars: Enabling the Creative Potential of Every Child; Enabling Creativity in Every Community; Investing in Creative and Cultural Infrastructure; Ireland as a Centre of Excellence in Media Production and Unifying Ireland’s Global Reputation
Key initiatives to be delivered in 2017 include: A new annual cultural day, “Cruinniú na Cásca” to be held on Easter Monday each year, replicating the very successful Reflecting the Rising event, which was held in Dublin this year; A planned investment program for Ireland’s cultural and heritage infrastructure, including our national cultural institutions, and an industry-wide, long term plan to develop Ireland as a global hub for film, TV drama and animation.
“Creative Ireland is about placing culture at the center of our lives, for the betterment of our people and for the strengthening of our society,” said Mr. Kenny at the launch ceremony.
And he added: “Together we can do extraordinary things: we can make Ireland the first country in the world to guarantee access for every child to tuition and participation in art, music, drama and coding.
“We can make every local authority a dynamic hub of cultural creativity.
“We can unlock the huge potential of our people in the creative industries.
“And we can make an important statement to ourselves and to the world about the interdependency of culture, identity and citizenship.”
