Linenhall funding ‘pared back to the bone‘ – Farrell

Linenhall funding ‘pared back to the bone‘ – Farrell


Áine Ryan

CASTLEBAR’S Linenhall Arts Centre may have been the biggest beneficiary of recent Arts Council funding but its financial sources have now being ‘pared back to the bone’.
While longtime Director, Marie Farrell welcomed the recent grant of €318,750 by the government organsiation for the arts, she told The Mayo News that the centre’s overall funding was down 25 per cent on its 2008 level.
Eight Mayo-based arts organsiations have been grant-aided in the latest tranche of Arts Council funding, which covers the period up to March 2012. Along with the Linenhall, they are Mayo County Council Arts Office, €119,000; the Ballinglen Arts Foundation €92,500; Fidget Feet, €84,475; Whistleblast Quartet, €56,250; Ballina Arts Centre, €50,000; Claremorris Arts Committee, €48,000 and the Heinrich Boll Centre, €21,000   
In allocating the funding, the Arts Council noted that it was investing in groups ‘with a proven track record of delivering great arts experiences for people all over the county and beyond’.
Ms Farrell said: “Over the last three years we have cut costs as much as is possible and have generated as much revenue as we can. Programme for us is paramount and our raison d’etre is to provide a vibrant arts resource for the community.  Obviously, the last thing we will cut is the programme and we have been very judicious in our cuts which have included wage-cuts.”
She continued: “In fairness, this year has not been so bad because the cut was much smaller.”
Ms Farrell also cited the fact that Castlebar Town Council annual funding had been reduced from €20,000 to €5,000 over the last three years. 
According to the Arts Council, the funding of the eight Mayo groups will lead to the provision of exciting new theatre, music and visual arts in communities, centres and schools  throughout the county. 
Arts Council Chairman, Pat Moylan said: “The people of Mayo will also have access to the work of many companies and organisations that tour nationally with funding from the Arts Council.
He continued: “We will be announcing further funding to individual artists and to groups undertaking projects, festivals and other events later in 2011. These will receive support through the Council’s many flexible funding schemes and other award programmes.”