From this week’s Galway City Tribune – An Taibhdhearc is appealing for six times its current funding – to transform into a professional theatre company with a full-time artistic director to stage five productions a year and set up an acting school and a youth ensemble.

The national Irish language theatre company based on Middle Street has argued that it needs €2 million annually, with a commitment for funding for three years, if it is to realise its full potential and address the inequity it faces compared to the funding for English language theatre companies.

The Arts Council gives The Abbey €7.5m; The Gate in Dublin €1.45m; the Wexford Opera Festival €1.6m and Druid in Galway over €1m in strategic funding annually, which helps funds its 13 staff members.

An Taibhdhearc gets €320,000 a year and has no full-time staff.

In a submission to the Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts, An Taibhdhearc pointed out that The Abbey received over €7.5m from the Arts Council in 2020 when it was closed during the Covid crisis – the only funding received to offset the loss during the pandemic years by An Taibhdhearc was €8,000 from Galway City Council.

Because of the financial pressure to fulfil its remit, it entered into a “company in residence” contract with Fibín Teo in 2021, which is due to expire this year.

The international success of recent films, including the Oscars-nominated An Cailín Ciúin, has demonstrated significant demand for high quality and innovative artistic output in Irish, the company states.
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the January 26 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.