Dear ,

It’s back to school time and, in that spirit, we’re sharpening our pencils for some busy months ahead.

Work continues on the campaign.  Copywriter Eoghan Nolan of Brand Artillery and Windmill Lane Studios are supporting us in our work to deliver a standout online video to communicate the NCFA’s essential pre-budget campaign messages this year.

We will be keeping in touch with you to suggest ways that you can maximize the effectiveness of the video and generate attention, bearing in mind that your TDs will return to the Dáil after the summer recess in the third week of September. We must gather momentum quickly and gain visibility from mid-September right up to the announcement of the allocation of next year’s funding from government to the arts, which will happen on ‘budget day’, on Tuesday 15th October.

Our second Colloquy was held on Monday 12 August 2013 in Kilkenny. It explored what is meant by ‘evidence’ and how this matters in the context of the arts and policy-making. The Guest Speaker, Dr. Dave O'Brien from City University London, spoke about the UK experience of the politics of evidence and cultural value. Professor John O'Hagan from TCD gave a short riposte that concentrated on the need for the arts to use arguments and evidence that go beyond the economic.

You can read a summary of the main points aired in discussion here. And you can listen back to the Introductions, Keynote Speaker and Respondent here.

The next NCFA Colloquy is on Monday 7th October, 2 – 5pm at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin 2. The speaker is Prof. Jim McGuigan, who will consider conflicting views as to the purpose of cultural policy. If you would like to attend, please email events@ncfa.ie

We would like to welcome two new members of the Steering Committee, the new chair of Theatre Forum (to be announced Sept 19th) and Claire Power. And on the communications front, we are also delighted that Philomena Byrne has come on board. We greatly look forward to their contribution to the work of the campaign. We also mark two departures, as Tania Banotti and Loughlin Deegan step down, having worked tirelessly for the NCFA from the earliest days. Our sincere thanks to them for their clear and forceful advocacy on the value of the arts – vital in campaigning for sustained secure levels of funding for the sector. They will continue to be great champions of our cause.

Thank you

With best wishes,

The Steering Committee:

Mark Brennock, Valerie Connor, Vincent Dempsey, Gerard Howlin, Fiach Mac Conghail, Niamh O'Donnell, Claire Power, Mags Walsh.