Arts groups appeal to locals to attend arts centre meeting

Local arts and community groups from around Offaly made their feelings known about the lack of action on the proposed arts centre for Tullamore during the St Patrick"s Day parade on Tuesday. Their visual campaign appealed to Offaly and Tullamore councillors to decide on a location for an arts centre in Tullamore this year, before Government funding of €2 million is lost. The groups, working together as the Offaly Community Arts Centre Initiative, are now urging everyone with an interest in the arts centre to attend the public meeting taking place next Wednesday, March 25, in Hugh Lynch"s Pub at 8pm. Tullamore Town Councillors, council officials, County Manager Pat Gallagher and the Council"s arts officer have all been invited to the public meeting by members of the local community, the Phoenix Festival group and Tullamore Amateur Dramatics. It will be chaired by Seamus Dooley, Irish secretary of the National Union of Journalists. Local artists, musicians, actors, singers, dancers, writers and more are expected to express their opinions on the proposed arts centre facility at the meeting. Locky Hooper, the chairman of the Phoenix Festival Committee urged as many artists as possible and all those who are passionate about the arts to show their support and let their voice be heard at the meeting next Wednesday. 'If people don"t show up at the meeting then the Council is going to look at it and say there"s really not that much interest in an arts centre. Essentially if something is not done about establishing an arts centre in Tullamore this year, then we risk losing the money completely,' he said. The committee is working on three different proposals, all of them costed, which will be presented at the meeting on Wednesday night. There are certain buildings in the O"Connor Square area being assessed, and some think that a centre could be incorporated into the town library, whereas others say think that a larger stand-alone building is needed to provide extra space for workshops. 'I"m totally 100% in favour of it and always have been,' said Cllr Molly Buckley, who will attend next week"s meeting. 'A lot of people feel that there"s certainly a need for an arts centre in the town and it"s a well known fact that the arts flourish in times of recess. People need a lift. My own view is yes we need it and yes the public support it. There"s a great arts scene in Offaly and Tullamore, but we haven"t had the proper facilities here and many feel hard done by because of that.' Offaly County Council does support the establishment of an arts centre in the town, however as with every local authority in the country, this year"s budget has seen serious cutbacks in expenditure and while the arts grant would help set up an arts centre, many are concerned as to how the day to day running costs of an arts centre would be raised. 'A dedicated arts building in the county town needs to be designed and operated in a fashion that is a clear expression of the commitment to make high quality arts experiences accessible to the citizens of Offaly,' said an adopted County Council report in 2007 on the arts in Offaly. 'Offaly County Council is committed to developing an arts centre in Tullamore and over the course of this plan the Arts Office will act in an advisory capacity with all stakeholders; to reach an agreed commitment and shared vision, to identify resources, capital and ongoing revenue costs and to identify spatial needs and facilities required.' The various groups said that a decision would have to be made by Offaly County Council within the next few weeks if the arts centre is to go ahead with the €2 million in ACCESS funding. The funding was granted by the Department of Arts Sport and Tourism back in 2007 and was welcomed by then Finance Minister Brian Cowen. One condition was that the money has to be spent by the end of this year. For more information about the campaign, check out www.tullamorearts.com.