Arts practitioners urge local politicians to 'Stand up for Derry'

What was billed as the Derry and Strabane’s first ever arts sector political representatives’ hustings has taken place in Studio 2 Arts Centre in the city’s Skeoge area. 

Hosted by the local Arts, Cultural and Heritage Co-Delivery Group, several members of the all-male panel took aim at Sinn Féin and the DUP for their failure to attend.

Chaired by Kevin Murphy, CEO of Derry Playhouse, the speakers at the event were: Seán Mac Cearain (Aontú), Cllr Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit), Colm Cavanagh (Alliance) and Cllr Rory Farrell (SDLP).

In terms of the Derry City and Strabane District Council area, each candidate was asked: ‘How do you or your party value the arts sector?’, ‘How would you and your party work to redress the historical imbalance in the resources for the arts sector?’, and ‘What ambitions would you or your party have for the growth, development, and sustainability of the arts sector?’

Opening what turned out to be an interesting and extremely wide ranging discussion, Rory Farrell said the arts across Derry and Strabane needed proper financial support from central government.

He added: “The real trigger for me was in November 2020. The Communities Minister announced a £600,000 funding package of covid support for four organisations, all in Belfast. None for anywhere outside of Belfast and definitely none for any very, very worthy organisations that were facing the same funding pressures, across our city and district.

“That was followed by the revelation that in the financial year 2020/21, the Arts Council funded £25 million to organisations across the North. £19 million went to organisations in Belfast and £1.7 million went to organisations across our city and district.

“So, for every pound invested in our Council area, 11 pounds went to organisations in Belfast and that’s not fair and that’s not balanced. It’s not in the vicinity of being fair or balanced.”

Mr Farrell said that at a subsequent meeting with the Arts Council, its chief executive, Roisin McDonagh “reluctantly agreed there was an issue in terms of funding, that Derry and Strabane was not getting its fair share”.

He added that the Department for Communities was developing a Cultural, Arts and Heritage Strategy, which should be ready by December.

“However, I don’t know if this can be delivered in the absence of an Executive, as it would probably need ministerial approval,” said Cllr Farrell.

Colm Cavanagh advocated the decentralisation of Arts Council funding.

He added: “The arts have to find ways to self-fund as much as possible. However, the reality is, one of the things local councillors can do, apart from banging on doors as they are doing with the Arts Council, is to be of assistance to the Co-Delivery Group to help find funding elsewhere.

“I don’t think there is going to be any easy answer to this. I think we are facing into hard times, horrendous times, so the only thing we can do is to be creative. So, decentralise the funding for the Arts Council; find ways to raise one’s own organisation’s money; and get local representatives, elected or not, to act as supporters and referees.”

Shaun Harkin said Sinn Féin and the DUP were the two biggest parties yet they were not present to “defend themselves”.

“I think it is an absolute insult to the sector and everybody here that they haven’t bothered to turn up. I think it is a disgrace,” said Cllr Harkin, who continued: “It sends a message that this discussion isn’t actually that important.”

“Obviously the DUP are on permanent strike and are missing from everything but Sinn Féin managed to go to the Coronation, a grotesque event, costing £250 million. Some people call it art. I call it an event that will promote and continue wealth inequality; and allegiance to absolute nonsense.”

Cllr Harkin said that the Department for Communities and the Arts Council have had to admit there is a disparity in funding “a legacy, not just a one year or a two year disparity, but a legacy of decades of disparity of funding for Derry and the North West”.

He added: “We absolutely value art because art shouldn’t be something you do now and again. Art is everywhere and I think art enhances our lives. It develops human beings and it helps to develop communities.

“Art can help people with mental health issues. It can help people with well being. Every challenge we have in our societies, art has a role to play in resolving it. We want to see our arts sector absolutely flourish in Derry,” said Cllr Harkin.

Gaeilgeoir Seán Mac Cearain, described himself as having been involved in the Traditional Arts for 40 or 50 years, including Irish language and music.

He added: “The arts are definitely a reflection of the richness and the culture and the progression of a given society.

“As regards what has been said here today, Sinn Féin is in charge of the community here. They have that portfolio at the moment. I would also say, by the way, we have had control of local government in this state or statelet for 25 years, so therefore, Nationalist and Republican governments haven’t increased arts funding any more than the previous Unionist incumbents. In fact, it has been a complete failure.

“From my point of view, in the Irish language, for instance, not one full-time job has been devolved to this city. Jobs that can be done with a computer, where you don’t need an office, you need nothing.

“Not one Sinn Féin minister, not one SDLP minister, nobody has ever brought an Irish language job to Derry. That is something that annoys me and we cannot blame, all the time, other people. Nationalists and other parties fund this community, have been in charge of the finances and have let us down.

“I think, as regards what we need to do about the cutbacks, for instance, there is an element of needing funding from central or devolved government but it is also important that commercial elements are tied into that as well,” said Seán Mac Cearain.

The panel also answered questions and heard the views of a diverse group of the city’s arts practitioners, including: Joe Campbell (artist); Cath McBride (In Your Space Circus); Andrew McNulty (Waterside Theatre); Paul Mason (Millennium Forum); Eibhlín Ní Dhochartaigh (Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin); and Janet Hoy (Creative Village Arts). 

The interesting and at times feisty discussion was concluded by an entreaty from Ollie Green, the Art s Director of Studio 2, for the members of the panel to “stand up for Derry”.

Mr Green welcomed the coming together of the Arts, Cultural and Heritage Co-Delivery Group.

“This was actually a long drawn out process of developing a Cultural Strategy, which we now haven’t got the money to pay for. However, it shows you, within our own city here, there is a sharedness of purpose and common goals among our sector to try and do what is best for our city, to build on what we know is the ‘vein of gold that runs through the heart of the city’.

“But, we also need a further common goal among our political representatives, to come together to stand up for Derry.”