January 2011
Dear MLA
We write as Chairperson, Artistic Director, Company Manager and Development Officer of Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company with regard to the Regional Assembly’s current budget discussions on funding for The Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Because you are engaged in deciding funding levels for The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, you should be informed from the perspective of organisations whose work is supported by them.
We ask you to defend the principle of public funding for the arts and to consider carefully the basis on which you make decisions regarding this government’s support. We ask you to consider the dangers of cutting an arts budget that is already low when compared with the rest of Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
WE TAKE SERIOUSLY OUR ROLE AS PRACTITIONERS AND GUARDIANS OF OUR ARTISITIC HERITAGE.
As the leading contemporary dance organisation in Northern Ireland, Echo Echo delivers a wide and varied programme that includes local and touring productions, community and educational work in a variety of contexts, support and development for young, local and emerging dance artists, including a programme of placements for university students and recent graduates.
Our work is widely regarded as unique in its approach, of exceptional professional quality, and accessible. We aim to give people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to be engaged in the art and culture of movement in a way that values the depths and subtleties of artistic process and practice while respecting and valuing the individual experience and perspective. Some idea of our work can be gained from a visit to our website: www.echoechodance.com
The work of a good artist provides a link with past practice in his or her field. We endeavour to bring the wisdom and insights of our predecessors into the present day context, and to build on them into the future with a spirit of creative freshness. We respect our cultural history and resist the temptation to “dumb down” as we work to make our practice relevant. At the same time we endeavour to make the world of artistic practice, with its wonderful potential for personal, social and spiritual growth and transformation, as welcoming and accessible as possible.
IT IS SOCIETY’S MANDATE TO POOL ITS RESOURCES IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTS.
We understand that, given the current political and economic circumstances, resources are limited. Yet, a society defines itself by the way in which it nourishes its inhabitants. A civilised society provides for several key things; proper care of the sick and elderly in a dignified and socially inclusive manner, the education of young people through a generous process of inclusion in society, and the passing on to future generations of cultural knowledge and skills with respect for achievements of the past. Short-term interests, such as those sometimes characteristic of purely commercially driven organisations, do not provide adequately in any of these areas. Moreover, treating artistic practice as purely commercial would be a departure from the historic norm. Historically, public or collective resourcing of professional arts practice has been a feature of civilized societies and its institutions. Where collective resources have been pooled, substantial resources have been devoted to the arts for reasons other than purely commercial ones.
A COMMERCIAL APPROACH TO ARTS FUNDING WILL DESTROY OUR ARTISTIC HERITAGE AND CRIPPLE OUR ARTISTIC FUTURE.
A purely commercial view of arts funding will fail to preserve our artistic heritage in the same way that our cities and landscapes would disappear without adequate protection. It is easy to understand that old buildings or ancient forests would be destroyed for roads or housing developments if we were to leave things to commercial interests, and that something we consider part of our “heritage” would disappear. It isn’t so easy to understand that without a vibrant and sufficiently resourced arts scene, those skills, practices, methods, understandings, and ideas, rooted in our cultural past, critically active in our present and paving the way for our future can be lost. The consequence being that each generation must “re-invent the wheel.”
Painters, sculptors, dancers, musicians, and writers working now, even those most apparently radical and modern, are embedded in a history of artistic creativity. Our work stands on the shoulders of those who went before. We may seem to do things very differently but in fact we are in debt to our artistic predecessors. Many of us also teach and encourage, as we were taught and encouraged, in an ongoing process of invitation, generation by generation, into the wonders and depths, excitements and sensitivities of human creativity and imagination.
The real practice of most artists can’t be recorded in book or a video or an archive. These things are important, but the core of cultural practice is in communication from person to person. We all need to be shown how to read, to play a musical instrument, to understand harmony, to draw using perspective. An artistic world needs to exist for people to be invited into it, and there need to be artists and teachers to do the inviting. Because of this, in one generation, the contemporary relevance of great cultural treasures can begin to be lost, perhaps faster than the decay of many neglected historic buildings.
A PROPERLY RESOURCED ARTS BODY IS ESSENTIAL TO PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE AND NURTURE OUR SOCIETY.
The existence of a properly resourced operationally independent arts body is essential, particularly in the political and historical context of Northern Ireland. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has the potential to be a great asset to this community. The organisation has improved enormously over the past few years, in its professional treatment of its clients, its appreciation of diversity and quality and its commitment to inclusion. If there is to be public support for the arts, a properly supported ACNI, with a high level of respect and status, is necessary to ensure the proper accounting for public funds and to embody the responsibility for quality provision using public resources.
Moreover, a critical level of arts funding must be maintained to enable such a body to operate successfully if it is to foster a creative environment which is broad enough, has enough consistent quality, is geographically and socially accessible enough, and includes enough talented, motivated and inspiring individuals to enable a synergy to develop. At a level that is too low, arts funding is pointless. It simply reinforces the perception that the arts are low status, of low quality, and without any capacity to transform lives and enrich our culture. Isolated arts practice tends to sink without trace and without effect.
In Echo Echo Dance Theatre we address these issues by supporting young developing artists who are based in Derry and Northern Ireland, as well as creating a context for people to view international work. We teach a huge variety of people in a way that respects both the background of participants and the depths and complexities of sophisticated arts practice. Please help us to continue our work.
Thank you for reading this letter. We would be interested to hear your thoughts and would be very happy to meet to talk through some of the points we have raised. We can be contacted at the above address or by emailing Echo Echo’s Company Manager at ailbe@echoechodance.com.
Yours Truly,
Tina McCauley (Chairperson)
Stephen Batts (Artistic Director)
Ailbe Beirne (Company Manager)
Sarah Bryden (Development Officer)
Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company
Dear MLA
We write as Chairperson, Artistic Director, Company Manager and Development Officer of Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company with regard to the Regional Assembly’s current budget discussions on funding for The Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Because you are engaged in deciding funding levels for The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, you should be informed from the perspective of organisations whose work is supported by them.
We ask you to defend the principle of public funding for the arts and to consider carefully the basis on which you make decisions regarding this government’s support. We ask you to consider the dangers of cutting an arts budget that is already low when compared with the rest of Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
WE TAKE SERIOUSLY OUR ROLE AS PRACTITIONERS AND GUARDIANS OF OUR ARTISITIC HERITAGE.
As the leading contemporary dance organisation in Northern Ireland, Echo Echo delivers a wide and varied programme that includes local and touring productions, community and educational work in a variety of contexts, support and development for young, local and emerging dance artists, including a programme of placements for university students and recent graduates.
Our work is widely regarded as unique in its approach, of exceptional professional quality, and accessible. We aim to give people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to be engaged in the art and culture of movement in a way that values the depths and subtleties of artistic process and practice while respecting and valuing the individual experience and perspective. Some idea of our work can be gained from a visit to our website: www.echoechodance.com
The work of a good artist provides a link with past practice in his or her field. We endeavour to bring the wisdom and insights of our predecessors into the present day context, and to build on them into the future with a spirit of creative freshness. We respect our cultural history and resist the temptation to “dumb down” as we work to make our practice relevant. At the same time we endeavour to make the world of artistic practice, with its wonderful potential for personal, social and spiritual growth and transformation, as welcoming and accessible as possible.
IT IS SOCIETY’S MANDATE TO POOL ITS RESOURCES IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTS.
We understand that, given the current political and economic circumstances, resources are limited. Yet, a society defines itself by the way in which it nourishes its inhabitants. A civilised society provides for several key things; proper care of the sick and elderly in a dignified and socially inclusive manner, the education of young people through a generous process of inclusion in society, and the passing on to future generations of cultural knowledge and skills with respect for achievements of the past. Short-term interests, such as those sometimes characteristic of purely commercially driven organisations, do not provide adequately in any of these areas. Moreover, treating artistic practice as purely commercial would be a departure from the historic norm. Historically, public or collective resourcing of professional arts practice has been a feature of civilized societies and its institutions. Where collective resources have been pooled, substantial resources have been devoted to the arts for reasons other than purely commercial ones.
A COMMERCIAL APPROACH TO ARTS FUNDING WILL DESTROY OUR ARTISTIC HERITAGE AND CRIPPLE OUR ARTISTIC FUTURE.
A purely commercial view of arts funding will fail to preserve our artistic heritage in the same way that our cities and landscapes would disappear without adequate protection. It is easy to understand that old buildings or ancient forests would be destroyed for roads or housing developments if we were to leave things to commercial interests, and that something we consider part of our “heritage” would disappear. It isn’t so easy to understand that without a vibrant and sufficiently resourced arts scene, those skills, practices, methods, understandings, and ideas, rooted in our cultural past, critically active in our present and paving the way for our future can be lost. The consequence being that each generation must “re-invent the wheel.”
Painters, sculptors, dancers, musicians, and writers working now, even those most apparently radical and modern, are embedded in a history of artistic creativity. Our work stands on the shoulders of those who went before. We may seem to do things very differently but in fact we are in debt to our artistic predecessors. Many of us also teach and encourage, as we were taught and encouraged, in an ongoing process of invitation, generation by generation, into the wonders and depths, excitements and sensitivities of human creativity and imagination.
The real practice of most artists can’t be recorded in book or a video or an archive. These things are important, but the core of cultural practice is in communication from person to person. We all need to be shown how to read, to play a musical instrument, to understand harmony, to draw using perspective. An artistic world needs to exist for people to be invited into it, and there need to be artists and teachers to do the inviting. Because of this, in one generation, the contemporary relevance of great cultural treasures can begin to be lost, perhaps faster than the decay of many neglected historic buildings.
A PROPERLY RESOURCED ARTS BODY IS ESSENTIAL TO PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE AND NURTURE OUR SOCIETY.
The existence of a properly resourced operationally independent arts body is essential, particularly in the political and historical context of Northern Ireland. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has the potential to be a great asset to this community. The organisation has improved enormously over the past few years, in its professional treatment of its clients, its appreciation of diversity and quality and its commitment to inclusion. If there is to be public support for the arts, a properly supported ACNI, with a high level of respect and status, is necessary to ensure the proper accounting for public funds and to embody the responsibility for quality provision using public resources.
Moreover, a critical level of arts funding must be maintained to enable such a body to operate successfully if it is to foster a creative environment which is broad enough, has enough consistent quality, is geographically and socially accessible enough, and includes enough talented, motivated and inspiring individuals to enable a synergy to develop. At a level that is too low, arts funding is pointless. It simply reinforces the perception that the arts are low status, of low quality, and without any capacity to transform lives and enrich our culture. Isolated arts practice tends to sink without trace and without effect.
In Echo Echo Dance Theatre we address these issues by supporting young developing artists who are based in Derry and Northern Ireland, as well as creating a context for people to view international work. We teach a huge variety of people in a way that respects both the background of participants and the depths and complexities of sophisticated arts practice. Please help us to continue our work.
Thank you for reading this letter. We would be interested to hear your thoughts and would be very happy to meet to talk through some of the points we have raised. We can be contacted at the above address or by emailing Echo Echo’s Company Manager at ailbe@echoechodance.com.
Yours Truly,
Tina McCauley (Chairperson)
Stephen Batts (Artistic Director)
Ailbe Beirne (Company Manager)
Sarah Bryden (Development Officer)
Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company
