merrion street

The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, today (12 March) officially launched ‘Advancing the Arts’, the Wexford County Arts Plan for 2018-2022.  This strategy aligns itself to the key goals of Wexford’s Local Economic and Community Plan, where the arts contributes to the key areas of education, well-being, urban and rural regeneration as well as cultural  tourism and economic  development.

Minister Madigan said:

“This strategy, ‘Advancing the Arts’ will expand and enhance the amazing work undertaken in Wexford, not only over the last 16 months in producing this innovative strategy, but over the last 25 years, since the establishment of the Arts office here in Wexford. As a result of this plan not only will the arts advance, but Wexford will advance, as a county. I believe that investment in arts and culture yields a very positive return for the state – not just in financial terms, although that too, but much more important in terms of wellbeing and the general good of our communities and our society at large.”

Minister Madigan continued:

“The vision for this strategy is for a vibrant, dynamic and engaged creative arts sector that is valued as integral to the development and vitality of Wexford’s communities and economy. This vision reflects the recent announcement of the investment of an unprecedented €1.188bn in our culture, language and heritage over the next ten years, and the transformational impact it will have on our cultural infrastructure in Ireland.”

The five year arts plan came about after an extensive consultation process throughout County Wexford in 2017. This consultation process involved meetings with artists, arts organisations, community groups and elected members throughout Wexford County, as well as senior council management, programme partners and other key stakeholders. The Creative Ireland Programme Wexford consultation was the largest across all 31 local authority areas, with over 200 people attending and informing the direction of this important initiative.