Submission in response to the Culture 2025 Discussion Document Introduction: This submission focuses on those areas for which the Blue Drum Agency has an acknowledged competence specifically in the arena of community culture and cultural rights. Thus the concern herein will focus on appropriate policy responses to 2 key questions: -How to improve access to culture in areas of social exclusion or disadvantage? -How Culture 2025 can be used to break down barriers?
Challenge 1: Can a case be made for a responsibility that accompanies National Lottery funding of The Arts Council? Policy Issue 1: The DAHG depends on National Lottery funding for The Arts Council expenditure. It is regrettable that neither the Value for Money and Policy Review of the Arts Council (Sept 2015) nor the Culture 2025 documents make any reference in this regard. Research shows that the budgetary allocation from the National Lottery is substantial Table 1 2013 2014 2015 Arts Council 60,602 56,893 56,893 allocation National Lottery 60,602 56,893 56,893 contribution Source: Revised Government Estimates 2014 and 2015, p. 153 and 228. The National Lottery revenue is gathered disproportionately from lower socio economic groups like unskilled workers, unemployed and people with low education qualifications. From the available data (NESF 2007, pp. 63-64 // Arts Council, 1987, Section 1.3.1). It is almost certain that the substantial public money spent on the arts is regressive meaning it is a transfer of resources from the less well off to the better well off Policy response 1: The current situation creates a precedent for a policy response that provides for a preferential option in relation to activities in the area of social exclusion, disadvantage and cultural diversity. A North South corridor of cooperation would be very welcome in this regard.
Challenge 2: Can the public sector duty established in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014 be a driver for culture in areas of social exclusion and disadvantage.
Policy Issue 2: It is self evident that very significant cohorts of the population are unseen and untouched by publicly subsidised funding of the arts and heritage. The distribution of public funds for the arts is out of balance with our evolving cultural landscape and with the changing demographics of our communities. Culture 2025 needs to have a more focused regard for community cultural practice, and by doing so, build a new inclusion for large segments of our society. Blue Drum Agency has endeavoured to promote debate and a focus on cultural rights throughout the country. Since 2014, we have also met 5 times directly with the Minister and officials as well as with the Policy Director of the Arts Council in this regard. We acknowledge that professional artist, cultural workers, community workers and youth workers are now engaging in a critical discourse around the need for greater access to and participation in the Arts and around the nature and role of cultural rights. More importantly, the new duty on public bodies to have regard to the need to combat discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and protect human rights, established in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, is another valued harbinger of change. The Department, The Arts Council and Local Authorities are now required, under duty, to identify the equality and human rights issues relevant to their functions and to set out the plans, policies and programmes in place, or proposed, to address these issues. In June 2015 AGM of the European Anti Poverty Network adopted motions that called upon the DAHG to promote equality and social inclusion in cultural life through direct engagement with disadvantaged communities and to adopt a cultural rights framework in the forthcoming national Cultural Policy and the Arts Council Strategic Plan. Policy Response 2 : There is a need for up skilling and development in the area of public sector duty in delivering on obligations under the duty. The DAHG and cultural institutions are required to make an assessment of the human rights and equality issues it believes to be relevant to the functions and purpose of the body and to identify the policies, plans and actions in place or proposed to be put in place to address those issues in its strategic plan. A policy response is now needed that creates the basis for a training initiative for staff in the DAHG and cultural institutions Culture 2025 offers valuable potential to introduce new thinking and innovation in this regard. Prepared by Ed Carroll 2015.10.31