Call for better conditions for Derry arts sector

Kieran Griffiths, director of Sligo’s Hawk’s Well and Art Deco theatres and former producer - director of the Playhouse in Derry under what he described as "the expert guidance of Pauline Ross", has lent his support to the ‘I Stand With The Artists of Derry’ campaign.

Speaking to The Derry News, Mr Griffiths said: “I will always stand for Derry artists because I am one.”

Launched on social media on Sunday, with city-centre leafleting taking place on St Patrick’s Day, the aim of the campaign is to highlight the poor treatment of artists and creators in Derry in terms of employment and contract rights.

The artists and creators are calling for “More Respect. More Protection. More Accountability”.

As part of the campaign, a large number of them have decided not to participate in Tuesday’s St Patrick's Day Spring Carnival Parade in Derry.

Derry dance teacher Irena Noonan described the arts community in Derry as “incredibly strong and passionate”.

“Many teachers, performers and volunteers dedicate huge amounts of time to giving young people opportunities to be creative, confident and involved in their community,” she said.

“What people sometimes do not see is the amount of work that goes into making events happen, the choreography, rehearsals, costume design, safeguarding, transport and cost. It often takes months of preparation from artists and community groups.

“I think artists and community groups simply want to feel respected and included in conversations about events which rely on their work and participation.

“For many young dancers and performers these events are huge milestones.

“Families plan around them, children rehearse for months, and it is about giving them the opportunity to perform and feel part of the city.

“It is a real shame that this year’s parade preparations have been hugely affected by lack of communication,” said Ms Noonan.

“Hopefully with people speaking out a bit more, going forward there can be stronger collaboration between organisers and the arts community in Derry, so we can keep creating amazing experiences for the city and the young people involved,” she added.

Another member of the city’s creative community said people within the creative industries in the North West “feel underappreciated”.

“It is not specific to any one venue but we are underpaid and have no support network,” said the freelance stage manager.

“There is no meaningful acknowledgement of our talent and skills as artists or the work we have put in to develop them. We are paid minimum wage and when we are taken on to do a job, we are expected to do the work of five other people, and then we’re dropped and that’s it.

“There is no accountability for the way we are treated. We are supposed to entertain people and make them happy but how are we supposed to thrive in our careers if we are under appreciated and under paid?

“A large number of artists and creators are leaving Derry and going elsewhere - to Belfast and London - because that respect for our industry does not exist here,” they said.

Nathan McCrossan told The Derry News he was shocked at how things worked in Derry’s arts scene.

“We have no job security. We work extremely long hours, to tight deadlines, for unfair pay.

“Artists are very badly treated and managed here and we receive no recognition or appreciation for our work,” said Mr McCrossan.

Karl Porter of UV Arts who is responsible for many of the eye-catching murals in Derry including The Undertones and most recently Peter Cunnah, said he felt there was a “massive disconnect between the people organising and running arts events and the artists and creators on the ground engaged in delivery”.

Kieran Griffiths, director of Sligo’s Hawk’s Well and Art Deco theatres.

Kieran Griffiths said the ‘I Stand With The Artists of Derry’ campaign was for something, not against something.

“It is for the artists,” he added, “I was a jobbing actor myself and know only too well how hard it is.

“Pauline Ross who founded the Playhouse, her door was always open to artists.

“The inscription above its big red door is about education and pathways to a career and I always took that duty and responsibility very seriously at the Playhouse, when I was working there.

“I tried to provide as many opportunities for employment, make as much theatre, and get involved and raise money for different art forms, as possible.

“That really meant something to me. I left because that focus was changing,” said Mr Griffiths.

“The situation the artists and creators are now highlighting has been going on for a number of years. There seems to be a very little amount of production going on in Derry.

“Essentially after I left the Playhouse there weren’t as many opportunities, I felt anyway.

“For me, seeing what is happening to artists and creators and their rights as human beings and employees has been terrible.

“The result of them not working, Derry has lost St Patrick’s Day is outrageous. That is a major failing,” said Mr Griffiths.

Previous St Patrick's Day Parade in Derry.

When he moved to Sligo, Mr Griffiths said in his mind he was not leaving Derry.

“Although Northern Ireland and the UK had decided to further disconnect itself from people by further disconnecting from Europe, the Taoiseach’s Office had committed €2 billion to the Shared Island Fund up to 2035 and I thought, ‘I will go and maybe make a bit of an impact for artists in Sligo, as is my job, but I will also try to connect the island in some way culturally,’” he recalled.

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“And, I am very proud to say, David McLaughlin [chief executive] at the Millennium Forum has supported me,” said Mr Griffiths.

“I brought an idea to him, a quarter of a million euro funded project, through which an artist from the North and an artist from the Republic of Ireland would be hired, for an initiative called Project Lighthouse.

“Project Lighthouse would look at what peace means to a generation born after the Good Friday Agreement.

“Those were two artists’ residencies valued at £25,000 each, creating employment for artists. That is only the start. David and I are in for the long haul.

“Thinking about what is going on at the minute in the city, I am hopeful there is a growing connection and partnership between David and his team at the Millennium Forum.

“The way in which they welcomed our team into the Forum in January for ‘The White Handkerchief’ was unreal. They really wrapped their arms around us,” said Mr Griffiths.

“We had 35 people in that production. It was a big deal and The Millenium really got it. We are now working on presenting the Trilogy: ‘The White Handkerchief’, ‘Beyond Belief’ and ‘Project Lighthouse’ - the research and development phase for the third part of the trilogy, which deals with children in the conflict.

A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council told The Derry News it recognises the important role played by artists in the local arts and culture sector however, in the absence of specific details of who the artists are, the organisations they are referring to and the nature of the alleged issues, it would not be appropriate for us to comment on this matter.”

The Derry News also sought comment from arts organisations across the city. At the time of going to print one had declined to comment and two did not comment.