14 September 2011Temple Bar Cultural Trust (TBCT), organisers of Culture Night, is collaborating with the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA) to host a Presidential Hustings meeting at the Irish Film Institute, Temple Bar, on Culture Night, Friday 23rd September at 11am. Chaired by Olivia O’Leary, the four current candidates for the Presidency, Mary Davis, Sean Gallagher, Michael D Higgins and Gay Mitchell, have been invited to discuss the importance of culture and arts for Ireland’s national values, society and economy as part of Culture Night 2011.
The four candidates will be invited to share their vision of the Presidency and the role and value of arts and culture in making an effective contribution to Irish society. A number of artists and other individuals working in the arts in the audience will have an opportunity to pose their questions to the candidates. The Presidential Hustings, created by NCFA, is a first for Culture Night which this year is celebrating a number of milestones, not least that it will be the largest to date with the participation of 30 regions across the island of Ireland and the commitment of 156 cultural organisations in Dublin alone.
Dermot McLaughlin, CEO, Temple Bar Cultural Trust said, “Culture Night is for everyone and the President represents all the people. At a time when more attention than ever is being paid to Ireland’s culture as the bedrock of our reputation, it’s timely that we should hear what the potential candidates for the Presidency have to say about culture and the arts. Culture Night is the ideal date for this discussion. The programme for Culture Night is immense, it connects with everyone and it illustrates the enormous cultural diversity and richness of communities across Ireland. As major contributors to Ireland’s cultural landscape, we are advocating a prominent position for culture, arts and creativity in the next Presidency. Many cultural organisations have experienced a jolt this year but the Culture Night programme is clear evidence that people and communities can adapt with resilience, imagination and ambition. Culture Night is a night of countless free opportunities for the public to experience the creativity and culture that is on our door step; it’s also an opportunity for the public to vote with their feet in support of Ireland’s arts and cultural offering.The Hustings meeting is a significant opportunity for citizens to hear the presidential candidates outline their perspective on Ireland’s arts and cultural offering, its role for the nation and their vision for bringing culture closer to the people of Ireland.”
Tania Banotti, Chief Executive of Theatre Forum and Secretary for National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA), said, “Following the success of the previous election hustings organised by the NCFA, in particular those held during the last general election with various political party candidates, we felt Culture Night was the most appropriate time for the Presidential Hustings. It’s an opportunity to hear what the candidates have to say about the arts, it’s role and value for the country and its reputation, for people’s lives, and for growth in society and the economy.”
Culture Night is the phenomenal cultural success that Temple Bar Cultural Trust initiated in 2006 with a small event in Temple Bar which has now grown to a significant national event taking place in 30 regions across the island of Ireland. The programme is packed with a range of culture forms and includes hundreds of cultural venues from small independent galleries to parks, historic houses, national museums, community centres, theatres, government buildings and local sports organisations. While the Hustings meeting will be a major attraction for people, other highlights on this year’s programme include free tours of Windmill Lane Recording Studios, an evening of music at Scoil Ácla Bunnacurry on Achill, a Food and Craft Market at Cork’s County Hall, a soul nourishing evening of music, talks at Oxfam books on Parliament Street, and free guided tours of Kilmainham Gaol. Culture Night is an initiative co-ordinated by Temple Bar Cultural Trust and supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in partnership with the regional arts offices and local authorities throughout the island of Ireland. As with all Culture Night events, the admission is FREE but tickets for this Hustings event must be secured in advance. See www.templebar.ie.
The complete Culture Night 2011 programme is available on www.culturenight.ie. Join the conversation online at http://www.facebook.com/CultureNight / http://twitter.com/culturenight
For further media information, please contact Kerryann Conway or Rachel Garvey, Conway Communications; Tel. 01-7071704 or Mob. 086 8215246 / 085-7656005
Notes to Editor
The NCFA was established in September 2009, the National Campaign for the Arts is a coalition of artists, arts organisations and all those who believe in the value of the arts. Its vision is of a society that values creativity, imagination and expression and which offers a culturally rich life to all. To this end, the NCFA ensures that the arts are on local and national government agendas and are recognized as a vital part of contemporary Irish life. For more information on the NCFA, visit www.ncfa.ie
Culture Night will take place in the following regions on Friday September 23rd: Dublin, Belfast, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cloughjordan, CorkCity, CorkCounty, Derry-Londonderry, Drogheda, Letterkenny, An Ghaeltacht, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo, Navan, Offaly, Roscommon, South Tipperary, Sligo, Strabane District, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.