Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will direct the Arts Council to recognise comedy, musical theatre, fashion design and storytelling as artforms and to ensure their development is within its remit, as is her right under section 5(3) of the Arts Act 2003; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37065/24]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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This question relates to the need to recognise comedy, musical theatre, fashion design and storytelling as art forms and to direct the Arts Council to do that so that those who are artists involved in those art forms can apply for and be granted grants and encouragement that they have not got.

I believe this is the Minister's right under section 5(3) of the Arts Act 2003.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Section 2 of the Arts Act 2003 states:

"arts” means any creative or interpretative expression, whether traditional or contemporary, in whatever form, and includes, in particular, visual arts, theatre, literature, music, dance, opera, film, circus and architecture, and includes any medium when used for those purposes.

This legislative definition indicates a recognition that arts expression is broad and fluid and constantly changing and evolving. Today, artists and arts organisations are increasingly working across and between arts areas. The Arts Council operates under the Arts Act. To reflect and respond to evolving modern arts practitioners, the Arts Council has formed a new multidisciplinary arts team. This team manages grants that are not discipline-specific. Examples of funding include the touring of work scheme and the creative production support scheme. I understand that the Arts Council also has plans to research and develop a multidisciplinary arts policy. Such a policy would set out how the Arts Council supports and enables multidisciplinary practice in the future. The council is currently seeking input by way of comments and suggestions from artists, arts practitioners and arts organisations working in these arts areas.

In recent months, the Arts Council published its new music policy and strategy, as well as an implementation plan which I believe will be launched later this year. Aligned to the development of policies, I understand that the Arts Council will be reviewing its ten-year strategy in preparation for its next strategy from 2026. Much of the structures around the professional non-commercial arts are supported by the Arts Council and local authorities. Annual support, including programming and revenue supports, is provided to arts centres by local authorities and the Arts Council. Cultural infrastructure owned by local authorities frequently receives capital funding from my Department. Many festivals in receipt of funding from the Arts Council and my Department have programmes that include comedy, spoken word, musical theatre and other multidisciplinary events and artists. Against this background, respect for the arm’s length principle has been a central tenet of my time as Minister. Any proposals of the kind suggested by the Deputy would require careful consideration to take account of the widest range of views to avoid unintended consequences and to ensure that it did not constitute, however unintentionally, an intrusion into an issue more appropriate for the Arts Council to determine.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I respect the arm's length principle but because the art forms I mentioned are not specifically listed, they have been excluded from certain grants and bursaries. That is why those involved in comedy - 1,400 people who signed a petition organised by Ailish McCarthy - are of the view that they need to be specifically mentioned. The same goes for musical theatre, which was a recommendation by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media. Theatre costume designers are recognised but not fashion designers for the people or those involved in fashion design for art. The same goes for storytelling and seanchas. While the Minister has said that, I believe we need to look again at the legislation to specify or be more open so there is no exclusion of art forms from grant aid.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Each of the practices subject to the Deputy's question are important creative activities that play an important part in the cultural life of the nation. For example, Irish comedy, to which the Deputy referred, has been to the fore internationally for decades. Comedians such as Deirdre O'Kane, Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran and Dara Ó Briain are household names in Ireland and overseas. As Minister, I was glad to be able to support comedy as part of the wide-ranging response to Covid challenges facing the live entertainment sector. It is also the case that comedy has traditionally been seen as a more commercial creative entertainment activity rather than an art form per se. However, the current process being conducted by the Arts Council on multidisciplinary arts allows for an important conversation on these issues, which I welcome. I am happy to see that these matters are being aired and discussed. My experience as Minister for the arts has been that successful interventions, for example, the basic income for the arts pilot research scheme, are firmly rooted in consultation and engagement with the sector. I know there will be different views on these matters. It is only through consultation and stakeholder engagement, hearing the views of the sector and reflection on them, that we can find a consensus on the way forward.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister mentioned the basic income for artists. Would any of the art forms I mentioned have access if they applied for that, considering they are not in the definition of what art is? I agree with the Minister and welcome the multi-annual team aiming to try to capture and be more flexible. We need to see that work. I wish the Arts Council well in that work. I also take this opportunity to thank all those who turned up at my party's Dáil Ealaíon, which had broad attendance from across the arts, as open and as wide as possible. I welcome that the Minister said there is a need to be fluid in our definition of art but we need to make sure that the supports available are available to all artists to ensure we as a society benefit from their creativity. What are the next steps, from the point of view of the Minister, rather than the Arts Council?

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As I mentioned, I have always respected the arm's length principle as Minister. That has been a central tenet for me. The next step is that what has worked for the past four years I have been Minister is engagement and consultation. That is where the Arts Council, development and research and this multidisciplinary arts policy come in. It is currently seeking input by way of comments and suggestions from artists, art practitioners and art organisations. The Deputy can make that known and ensure people contribute to that consultation.

The Deputy asked another question in relation to basic income. On the basic income for the arts research project, eight participants cited comedy as part of the description of their practice. This includes seven in the treatment group and one in the control group. Comedians were eligible to apply for basic income for the arts. The eligibility guidelines, while based on the Arts Act generally, were broader due to the fact that artists and creative art workers were being supported and a more expansive approach was taken in the context of a pilot research programme.