Minister Humphreys announces details of regional consultation meetings on Culture 2025

Regional consultation meetings will be held in five locations – Cavan, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Kilkenny - in the coming weeks, with the consultation process finishing with a symposium in Dublin in mid-October. The meetings have been organised in conjunction with Local Authority Arts Officers. Full details of the meetings are included below.

Speaking today Minister Humphreys said:

“The development of our first ever national cultural policy is an important opportunity for everyone to have their say on what we want to achieve over the next decade. Setting out high level aims up to 2025 will help to protect and promote our unique and varied culture, and encourage new cultural forms to flourish.

“I view the development of Culture 2025 as a chance to reflect the important role that culture plays in our lives. It should also help to create a platform for bringing together the various cultural bodies and groups at a local, regional and national level. The series of local workshops to be held in the coming weeks will ensure people across the country are given an opportunity to have their views heard.

“As a high level document, Culture 2025 will set a framework for future strategies and will be underpinned by the principle of upholding and supporting artistic freedom. The discussion document which I published last month poses a series of questions aimed at stimulating debate and identifying both challenges and opportunities.

“My Department facilitated a colloquium of cultural stakeholders at the end of May, which informed the development of this Discussion Document. Now, we are in the next phase of the nationwide consultation process. I want Ireland’s first national cultural policy to be led by those involved in the sector and those who feel passionately about the arts. I would encourage interested members of the public to attend the public meetings where possible or alternatively to submit their comments in writing by 30^th September 2015. ”