The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, has announced that the selection process has begun to pick 6 towns and/or cities in Ireland to take part in the new Night-Time Economy pilot programme. This programme - which includes the appointment of Night-Time Economy advisors in each of the selected towns or cities - aims to help boost the night-time economy and promote an eclectic, vibrant night-time culture.
Minister Martin said:
"The establishment of Night-time advisors in the six pilot towns and cities will be a significant step towards securing a vibrant and importantly a more sustainable night-time culture for all our citizens. The selection of these pilot towns and cities is a vital stage in this process and I would like to thank the CCMA and the local authorities for their leadership and support for this
process. This is in direct response to an action in the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce which I published last year. The Taskforce explored ways in which we could promote a thriving, inclusive and diverse Night-Time Economy. It is crucial now that we follow up on their recommendations and act on them to create and support opportunities for audiences, venues, businesses and performers."
Ann Marie Farrelly, Chair of the CCMA BEIUER (Business, Enterprise, Innovation, Urban/Town Economic Renewal) Committee and member of the Night-Time Recovery Taskforce welcomed the progress made towards establishing the pilot areas saying she:
"looks forward to some innovative and exciting pilot projects across the country which will be developed in partnership with key local stakeholders."
The Minister has committed funding for a two-year period to support the recruitment of the Night-time Advisors for each of the chosen areas. The process is being led by the City and County Managers Association (CCMA) which has recently issued the call to all local authorities to apply for funding to establish the role in their town or city. The application call for Local Authorities will close on 24th June 2022 and the chosen cities/towns will be announced this summer.
Minister Martin has also provided funding to support late night openings in a number of the National Cultural Institutions (NCIs) this summer and autumn. The funding will allow NCIs to open later than usual in the evenings but also to support events and performances with the aim of broadening and diversifying the range of cultural offerings available to the public at night.
In addition, with support from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the National Concert Hall, IMMA and the National Museum of Ireland will also be hosting large-scale pilot events this year to trial new and more diverse offerings later into the night.
These initiatives are as a direct result of recommendations made by the Night-Time Economy Taskforce (as per Action 6, 9 and 10) which was set up by Minister Martin to develop an innovative approach to supporting and developing a vibrant, diverse, and sustainable night-time economy in Ireland.
The establishment of Night-time Advisors and NTE pilots in towns/cities is in support of Action 19 of the Taskforce Report. The aim of this initiative is to stimulate NTE activity in a particular area through the development of enhanced collaborative structures at local level supported by a Night-Time Economy Advisor. The appointment of the Night-Time Advisor will ensure the proactive management of the Night-Time Economy for the selected pilot area and they will also act as a conduit between the Local Authority and the NTE Sector, including local residents.
The Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce was published in September 2021 and available to view at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/d86df-night-time-economy-taskforce/
The Report contains 36 practical recommendations in the area of regulation, licensing, planning, transport, safety and increasing the diversity of activities as part of the night-time offering.
The application call for Local Authorities will close on 24 June 2022 and the chosen cities/towns will be announced this summer.
The Night-Time Economy (NTE) pilot projects will include an extensive consultation process leading to the development of an action plan setting out a range of interventions to support the co-ordinated development of the area’s Night-Time Economy.
Extending the opening hours of the NCIs with new programmes of activity supports Action 9 of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce Report. Examples of activities in support of this Action include:
Thursday Tours at the Crawford Art Gallery - The Crawford Art Gallery, in Cork City, will host a series of new Thursday night tours until 8pm. Expert guides will include a general introduction to the Gallery on all Thursday Tours, while the rest of the tour’s content will vary from week to week and will range from the National Collection, individual temporary exhibitions and the Sculpture Galleries to the building and its history.
The National Museum of Ireland (NMI) – From June through to August, NMI will be opening late on Thursdays and welcoming visitors at both NMI - Decorative Arts and History in Collins Barracks and at NMI- Archaeology on Kildare Street.
The National Library of Ireland will open up the welcoming rotunda and beautiful reading room to evening audiences and will host a new series of evening events from September to December.
Action 10 sees IMMA and the NMI trial major new programmes of late night activity in their grounds:
IMMA Nights: The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) have launched ‘IMMA Nights’ from mid-May until mid-September. Each Thursday and Friday throughout this pilot season, IMMA will open the grounds of the 48 acres site to a range of activities including talks workshops, art, dance and theatre performances, DJs and live music. Visit https://imma.ie/whats-on/imma-outdoors-2022/ for more information.
The Museum of Country Life in Turlough Park, Co Mayo will host a pilot Night Time Economy Taskforce event in autumn 2022, plans for the event are in development and will be released soon.
Action 6 sees The National Concert Hall (NCH) developing a new festival encompassing the NCH campus which celebrates the new in music with a focus of electronic music and the visual arts. The festival will present a number of major world class concerts in NCH’s main auditorium and will be driven by Dublin’s most exciting curators, artists and ensembles.
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