I am very pleased to announce the publication of the Arts Council’s Strategy, Making Great Art Work (PDF, 3.29 MB). This strategy established the co-ordinates by which the Arts Council will lead the development of the arts in Ireland in the decade 2016–2025.

As the expert body for the arts, we are clear about the need for renewal, we are realistic about the many challenges we face but we are also confident about the strength of the arts. This strategy heralds a new time for the arts in Ireland. We will, over the next decade, prioritise two areas: the artist and public engagement, specifically identifying particular actions under each of these priorities. But this requirement to be strategic also requires us to be selective. Our new investment framework will require change by all involved in the funding relationships we will broker over the coming years on behalf of the public.

As the Arts Council we are charged with investing public monies. We will do this with enhanced transparency, integrity and accountability. We will also require our partners to demonstrate how they are working with us to ensure better outcomes of this public investment. New funding agreements will form the basis of all our future decisions as will demographic and spatial planning.

As change and renewal form the basis of this strategy, we will work with our partners to achieve change in the arts sector but we know that change must begin with ourselves: with what we choose to do and how we choose to do it. Our first three-year plan 2017–2019 offers us a real opportunity to begin to effect this change. We look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders over the coming months to discuss how best we might begin to prioritise the actions of the strategy in the first three-year plan.

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