University of Limerick is playing host to a conference marking the first appointment of a local authority arts officer in Ireland, focused on the subject of local arts provision and development:

To mark this 25 year partnership, and under the auspices of our relationship with the County and City Managers Association, the  Arts Council and the Association of Local Authority Arts Officers are together organising a conference on local arts development. With guest national and international speakers, the conference will explore the role of the arts and culture in achieving local economic and social development objectives, and how we can unlock the potential of future integrated planning in these areas.

The keynote speaker is Jon Hawkes, a well-known figure in the Australian cultural policy scene, along with lots of other interesting speakers, particularly from the policy & planning side of things.