Theatres and Arts Centres across the country have come together to show support for the National Arts Recovery Plan published recently by the NCFA and Mullingar Arts Centre have stated that they stand together with the NCFA, venues around Ireland and artists and arts workers at this difficult time to ensure the survival of the sector.
In a collectively prepared statement, Mullingar Arts Centre and other venues around the country pleaded with local art lovers to support the industry:
“Before and during this pandemic, it is the arts that have kept us company, being an escape, a voice, a release, a hope.”
“As the country emerges from the pandemic and businesses attempt to return to trading or pivot to alternative offerings in a physically limited new world, the arts and culture sector will be the very last to recover in any meaningful way.
“Artists, arts workers and arts organisations need the support of the public now. We must keep the arts on the national agenda while we move towards Government formation and Programme for Government.”
“The COVID-19 crisis has affected everyone. The financial impact is devastating.
It is crucial that we protect our arts sector and ensure the years of investment, experience, and artist support infrastructure are not lost. Theatres and Arts Centres are a key infrastructure for communities and artists; we are an important touchstone for arts engagement and provide vital pathways connecting artists and audiences.
“We at Mullingar Arts Centre are asking our customers and the general public for your support to help give the arts a voice with these 3 actions:
• Tell your TD how important the arts are to you.
• Are you an arts fan? If you enjoy the arts, please add your voice to the campaign by sharing the #SAVETHEARTS video on social media (available to view and share on Mullingar Arts Centre’s social media platforms and website www.mullingarartscentre.ie)
• Talk to your friends and family about how important the arts are to you and ask them to do points one and two above.
“We look forward to welcoming our customers back into our venues to enjoy all that the arts have to offer, and we are working hard to make our venues safe in order to be able to do so,” the statement finished.