Finance Minister Visits The Playhouse to Hear How City is Benefitting from the Arts
24th October, 2024
Finance Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald visited The Playhouse in Derry~Londonderry this week to hear about the positive impact the arts are having on the environment, jobs, people and communities across the North West.
The Minister spent the afternoon with the Chief Executive and Chair of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) which provides core funding to the venue, and met with staff from the Playhouse and local arts practitioners.
The Playhouse, is an award-winning producing theatre in the centre of Derry City. It’s year-round programme of work includes theatre shows, workshops, professional training and skills development in the arts and a globally renowned arts and peacemaking programme. In 2022 it became the first theatre on the Island of Ireland to appoint a Climate Action Officer. This unique appointment enabled it to develop Artitude, a one-of-a-kind project that would use storytelling to break down the jargon around climate change and engage communities in positive action.
On the visit, the Minister had the opportunity to hear first-hand about how the Artitude project is working with a range of partners, including Derry City and Strabane District Council, to take what is a global issue and explore what it means for local people within their own homes and environment. In the first year of the programme, 800 people across the region took part. Since then numbers have continued to grow as the now annual Artitude Festival opens up conversations on environmental issues in a fun and accessible way.
Kevin Murphy, CEO of The Playhouse, commented:
"We were delighted to welcome Minister Archibald to The Playhouse and to showcase not only our groundbreaking work on climate change but our open learning and training pathway for emerging talent. The Playhouse is an important city centre venue and producing theatre - it delivers outstanding public benefit and increases access to the arts for many under-represented groups, from LGBTQ+ to D/deaf disabled. We are proud of what we’ve done and with more investment we can do more as a creative employer, producer and arts hub for the North West.”
The Minister also met with some of the arts organisations based at The Playhouse. This included Sole Purpose Theatre Company, an Arts Council funded multi-award winning theatre company that has been making high quality theatre for social change for 27 years. Their current production 'The Marian Hotel’ by Caitriona Cunningham is based on the writer’s lived experience of being in a mother and baby home in Newry. Games Education specialists Kippie were also in attendance, along with disability arts organisation, Lilliput Theatre and cutting-edge music events specialists, Northern Lights.
Dr Caoimhe Archibald, Minister of Finance, speaking after her visit said:
“I was delighted to be at The Playhouse to see this fantastic facility and hear more about the important projects the theatre runs. Artitude, is an inspiring community engagement initiative in Derry using the arts to encourage behaviour change and challenge attitudes to waste, consumption and climate action - a key priority in the draft Programme for Government. The arts make a valuable contribution to wider society through creative projects like this.”
Arts Council of Northern Ireland Chief Executive Roisin McDonough also had an opportunity to talk with the Minister about the role of the arts in creating awareness of issues like climate change, building skills for young creative people and increasing access to the arts for everyone.
Speaking at the event, Roisin McDonough said:
“It was a pleasure to welcome the Minister to The Playhouse today. The arts are key not just to individuals but to communities, and the enrichment of society. Venues like this create jobs, provide opportunities for education, professional training and skills development and of course provide safe spaces for communities to come together.
“The Arts Council has a long-standing history with The Playhouse and, back in 2001, provided National Lottery investment for its refurbishment, marking the beginning of its transformation into the wonderful creative space it is today. There are so many fantastic initiatives here which really harnesses the power of the arts to engage audiences in creative and new ways, bringing important issues to the fore to provoke meaningful engagement and promote change.”
Reflecting on the visit, Liam Hannaway, Chair of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said:
“The Minister had the opportunity to hear about many different aspects of the work which goes on here at The Playhouse. Programmes like the Open Arts Pathway are a real success story, engaging young people from all kinds of backgrounds, empowering them, skilling them up and helping them to gain valuable qualifications.
“I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet today with several new staff members, who were direct beneficiaries of the Open Arts Pathway and are now employed here as officers at the Playhouse. It was encouraging to hear how, as active members of staff, they are now able to pass on some of what they have learnt here to the next generation of young people coming through.”
About The Playhouse
The Playhouse engages with over 80,000 people each year (live and digitally) and works with up over 300 facilitators and artists every year. It is an important creative hub in the city centre. For more information on its work and upcoming events go to: www.derryplayhouse.co.uk