‘A very tough year for artists’

Musicians and artists have been recognised as suffering more than most sectors and praised for continuing with their creativity throughout the pandemic.

Nenagh councillor Hughie McGrath said artists and musicians provide an important service and should be rewarded with assistance in applying for grants. Himself a musician and organiser of events such as Nenagh Castlefest and the local St Patrick's Day parade, Cllr McGrath said he knows of many people engaged full-time in the arts and entertainment industry who have really struggled.

“It's been a very tough year for artists,” he told the December meeting of Nenagh Municipal District. “It is extremely hard on these people who are trying to make a living out of it.”

He praised those who found innovative ways of continuing to bring arts to people from their kitchens or bedrooms via social media. “They've very little money but they still have passion for their art.”

Cllr McGrath said that when the pandemic comes to end, efforts should be made to assist artists with applying for grants, the process of which has in the past proven quite daunting for some.

Arts Officer Melanie Scott said 2020 was a particularly challenging year for artists and musicians, most of whom have shown great resilience and imagination in order to produce work that is “a great source of comfort at this time”. Ms Scott said the sector is to be commended, and she told the meeting that Tipperary Co Council's Arts Office would provide whatever support it can. She encouraged people in need of assistance to contact the office.

District Administrator Rosemary Joyce praised Nenagh Arts Centre for finding imaginative means of keeping the arts going during 2020. She informed the meeting that applications are now being invited for the 2021 Festivals and Events Grants Scheme. While no one could be certain of how events would happen in the coming year, Ms Joyce encouraged those planning them to get their applications in over the coming weeks.