Month: August 2010

iPhones/Droids at the ready: CMC’s Music Trail in our fair city

Three cheers for the Contemporary Music Centre’s innovative new Music Trail, which will be launched in a few days’ time, and run from 21 August-1 September!

The Outdoor Music Trail features works by different Irish composers playing in five outdoor locations; an inner trail with three locations playing music outdoors daily from 1pm to 4pm and an extended trail incorporating the first three locations, plus two additional locations which can be followed and listened to with a smartphone. The extended trail employs the very latest in location-based, augmented reality technology and is available by downloading the free Layar app for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and Android devices.

Sounds intriguing, especially the ability to stream the music at any point during the Trail’s run… will have to go check out the ‘live’ versions between 1-4 as well.

The Music Trail is also the first event to be launched under the leadership of the CMC’s new director Evonne Ferguson, who no doubt will continue the CMC’s tradition of fine programming and commitment to contemporary music.

National Campaign for the Arts – upcoming Day of Action

September 17th is the day to take part in the National Campaign For the Arts’  Day of Action— meetings will be taking place all over the country with local representatives and arts workers, to advocate for the ongoing support of the arts. As part of the effort, the NCFA has also produced a promotional video:

Here’s also a link to a recent interview on Morning Ireland. Lots more info is available on the NCFA site, but here’s a recap of the Campaign’s main objectives:

There is now a broad consensus that the arts will play a dynamic part in Ireland’s economic and social recovery. To maintain their role as a significant driver of employment, cultural tourism, the creative industries, our collective wellbeing and international reputation, NCFA asks that the next budget will:

(1) Maintain current levels of funding to the statutory agencies for the arts, including Irish Film Board, Culture Ireland and in particular The Arts Council, whose investment in the development of Irish artists generates the cultural assets that are central to our future.

(2) Make significant new funding available to the arts and culture sector to build on its cultural tourism potential, through the creation of a dedicated cultural tourism fund.

(3) Protect local authority arts funding and its essential role in the cultural diversity, social cohesion, economic impact, participation and identity of communities and regions.

Giving interns a fair deal

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I read with great interest a recent report from the UK-based Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) on the subject of internships, employment law and ethics, entitled ‘Why Interns Need a Fair Wage‘. The report challenges the system of unpaid internships across the private and public sectors (including politics, business, law, media, fashion, the arts and non-profits), arguing that this structure:

  1. often violates UK employment law by denying interns minimum wage compensation to which they are legally entitled
  2. perpetuates inequalities in many professions by effectively denying entry to individuals without financial means to support themselves during long internship periods (3 mos-year, typically)
  3. further excludes people without family backgrounds in certain professions, owing to their lack of networks/contacts necessary to secure unadvertised but valuable internship places
  4. creates an ethical quandry for organisations who declare themselves to be pro-diversity and pro-access, whilst maintaining internship programmes that are exclusionary in nature

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Back online!

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Greetings, dear readers, and welcome to new ones…

Many thanks for those who sent kind emails during my maternity leave; my first long break from university in 15 years (!) was enjoyed by all (well, I squeezed in a visiting professorship at New York University this summer– old habits die hard– but Baby Myles was able to begin his cultural education in serious style):

Summerstage in Central Park

I’m back full-time now and will resume posting blog entries, selected press releases and the ever-popular arts management jobs list. Please feel free to email me with any events/openings with your organisation, and I’ll do my best to spread the word…

It’s been turbulent times over the last year for the arts in Ireland, between Minister changes, budget woes and cutbacks across the board.  As we look ahead to welcoming next year’s class of MA students in Arts Management & Cultural Policy, I’ll be posting regularly on changes to the arts policy and funding climate and what-all else transpires in the meantime…