Minister Martin announces membership of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce

Today, Catherine Martin T.D., Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht announced the membership of the Arts and Culture Recovery Task Force.

Clare Duignan will chair the Task Force and the other members will be:

Arts Council
Business to Arts
Council of the National Cultural Institutions
County and City Management Association (CCMA)
Department of Health
Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht
Department of Social Protection
Ealaín na Gaeltachta
Events Industry Alliance
Irish Congress of Trade Unions
National Campaign for the Arts
Irish Music Rights Organisation
Irish Theatre Institute
Screen Ireland
Screen Producers Ireland
Denise Chaila
Martin Hayes

The Terms of Reference are as follows:

The Taskforce will prepare a report for the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht including a set of recommendations on how best the arts and culture sector can adapt and recover from the unprecedented damage arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. The sector includes culture, the arts, the audiovisual industry and the live entertainment industry. Taking as its starting point, the research and evidence of the devastating impact of the pandemic on the sector compiled by the Department, the Arts Council and other stakeholders, the Taskforce will:-

adopt a solution-focused approach;
seek sector-specific expert input and consult with stakeholders;
invite additional individuals or expertise to attend meetings on an ad hoc basis, as it deems necessary;
focus on providing intelligence and recommendations for an expected on-going and varying impact of COVID-19 restrictions;
identify immediate and medium term goals for recovery and sustainability in the sector;
identify possible policy initiatives or impediments to a robust sustainable recovery in the sector;
recommend whole of Government policy initiatives and actions to support the sector;
report to the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht by the 31 October 2020 in order to provide the Government with an action-plan for the sector.

The taskforce can be contacted at taskforce@chg.gov.ie and all correspondence will be published in due course.

Speaking today, Minister Martin said: “The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the arts and culture sectors. Live performances, theatre, music and events have all but disappeared from society. Identifying ways of preserving and re-establishing this once-vibrant, heart-warming and magical sector will be a mammoth task. The membership of the Task Force that I am appointing holds a wealth of experience and talent and I have no doubt that collectively they will rise to the challenge. I look forward to receiving the Report in due course.”