The History of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, 1943–2016: Between the State and the Arts

Contents
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
	Evolution of the Notion of Arts
	Arts, Culture and Tradition in Northern Ireland
	Building a Gaelic Ireland
	Unionist Identity
	Cultural Policy
	Main Questions
	Notes
Part I CEMA, from a Temporary Wartime Measure to a Permanent Institution (1939–1951)
2 Arts and Culture in Northern Ireland Before the Second World War
	Culture and the Authorities
	Ulster Culture, Ulster Identity
	Ulster Drama20
	A Cultural Desert?: The Arts in the 1930s in Northern Ireland
	Notes
3 Creating CEMA
	Institutional Beginning of CEMA (NI)
		1940‒1943: False Start
		1943‒1945: CEMA (Northern Ireland)
	The Arts During the War
		CEMA’s Policy: Being Part of the War Effort
		A New Artistic Buoyancy
		Rise of Regionalism
	Notes
4 Establishing CEMA in the Political and Cultural Landscape of Northern Ireland
	CEMA (NI), Its Incorporation and the Arm’s-Length Principle
	CEMA’s First Steps
	The Festival of Britain
	Notes
Part II The Evolution of CEMA/ACNI: Politics, Culture and the Arts (1950s–1960s)
5 The Artistic Policy of CEMA/ACNI: Educating the People
	“Increase Accessibility”1
		Touring
		New Partnerships: Local Arts Committees
		New Partnerships: Local Authorities
		Social Outreach
		Criticism and Challenges
	“Improve the Standard of Execution”63
		Declining Support for Amateur Arts
		Direct Provision of the Arts
			The Ulster Orchestra (UO)
			The Grand Opera Society (GOS)
			The Visual Arts
			The Project of a National Theatre112
	Notes
6 Politics, Sectarianism and CEMA/ACNI
	The 1950s: Political Encroachment and the Arts
		The Question of the National Anthem
		The Bonefire
		Over the Bridge
		From CEMA (NI) to ACNI: Criticism of the Council
	The 1960s: The Arts and the O’Neill Government
		Greater Interest in the Arts
		The End of the “Cultural Border”77
	Notes
7 A Regionalist Agenda in Northern Ireland?
	The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
	The Ulster Museum
	Ulster Arts and CEMA/ACNI
	Notes
8 1968‒1972, A Transition
	The Beginning of the Troubles and the Arts
		Consequences of the Crisis on Art Performances
		Arts as Community Relations: Literature and Traditional Arts
	‘Ulster 71’
	The Reform of the Arts Council
	Notes
Part III Artistic Policy in a Violent Political Context (1970s–1990s)
9 In Times of War: A New Role for the Arts
	Conflict Resolution Theory
		Peacemaking and Peacebuilding
		Community Relations
	A New Community Relations Framework in Northern Ireland
		First and Failed Attempts at Peacebuilding
			Community Relations (1969‒1975)
			Lord Melchett
		Culture and Peacebuilding
			Multiculturalism, the Anglo-Irish Agreement and Education
			From Two Traditions to Cultural Diversity
			The Community Relations Council (CRC)
	Notes
10 Isolationism of ACNI
	Limited Artistic Activity in the 1970s
		Multiple Closures
		Visiting Northern Ireland
		Self-Censorship
	Keep Calm and Carry on
		The ‘Big Three’22: the Lyric Theatre, the Ulster Orchestra and the Grand Opera House
		Interplay
	Diversification of Funding
		Support from District Councils
		The Economic Potential of the Arts
	Notes
11 Community Arts and Their Development in Northern Ireland
	Defining Community Arts
	Nationalists and Community Arts
		Artists in Their Community: The Field Day Theatre
		The “Cultural Struggle”27
		Emergence of New Artists: The Example of Martin Lynch
	ACNI, an Unwilling Participant
		Professional Arts and Amateur Arts: An Old Battle
		Community Arts? no, Thank You
	Notes
12 ACNI and the Peace Process
	Arts in the Community
		Arts in Situ
		Young Arts
		Traditional Arts
		Literature
	ACNI and Cultural Traditions
	Reforming ACNI
		The Priestley Report (1992)
		The Arts Council (Northern Ireland) Order (1995)
		A New Strategy for ACNI
	Notes
Part IV ACNI’s Integration into a Northern Irish Cultural Policy (1998–2016)
13 A New Institutional Framework
	The European Union and the Funding of Culture
		Indirect Funding: INTERREG and Training Programmes
		Culture Programmes
		In Northern Ireland: PEACE I‒IV
	New Labour’s Cultural Policy: The Economic and Social Role of the Arts
	Culture and the Arts as a Prerogative of the State
		The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL)
		A New Legislative Framework: Support for the Irish Language and to Ulster-Scots
	Notes
14 The Government and the Economic Potential of the Arts
	Urban Regeneration and Cultural Tourism
		In Belfast
		In Derry/Londonderry
	The Cuts
	The Creative Industries
	Notes
15 ACNI: A Contested Development Agency
	ACNI and the Government
		The Arm’s-Length Principle
		Lobbying the Government
		ACNI’s Strategies
	ACNI and the Social Purpose of the Arts
		Reconciliation
			Re-Imaging Communities
			The Irish Language and Ulster-Scots
			North/South Collaboration
		Outreach
		Social Inclusion: Older People, the Disabled and Ethnic Minorities
	The Economic Argument
		Arts Infrastructure
		Arts and Business
		The Creative Industries Innovation Fund
		Exporting Northern Ireland Through the Arts
	Notes
16 Conclusion
	Notes
Appendix
Index