Notwithstanding Galway’s success in capturing the European capital of culture title, the success of Irish movies in recent Golden Globe nominations or the appointment of new artistic directors to the Abbey and Gate theatres, probably the most significant intervention in the arts in many years was the declaration by the Taoiseach that the State had failed the sector.
Not since the establishment of a ministerial position to look after the arts has the State so definitively acknowledged its responsibilities in this area – the shame is that is has done so through an admission of neglect.
That this has occurred as a result of the commemoration of Easter 1916 is altogether appropriate. It was, after all, a rebellion fostered by those with cultural and literary backgrounds and with a clear sense of the role of culture and heritage in national identity.
The whole 2016 commemoration is one the Government can be proud of; those who placed the arts at the centre of the programme of events did so with laudable vision. In particular the choreography and language of the Easter ceremonies responded perfectly to the occasion.
The bell that sounded the wake-up call in political ears needs to be kept ringing by those involved in the arts. The true value of the Government's commitment will be tested in the 2017 budget. Provision of resources to match ambitious objectives set out in the five-year " Creative Ireland" plan demand substantial expenditure. In effect, Creative Ireland represents flesh on the bones of the Government's strategy for the future framework for the arts, Culture 2025.
The Arts Council, too, published a plan setting out its own priorities. These suggest a directional change from a funding body to a development agency. Some renewal of its mandate might be necessary but micro-management of client organisations has to be avoided.
So too must political management of the arts by the State. Among the council’s aims, better remuneration for artists stands out: if the shameful living standards of most artists are improved, that alone would be a good outcome of the legacy of 2016.