Sample-Studios' Submission to the City Development Plan 2022-2028
General Comments:
In a 22 page chapter, and 556 page Development Plan for Europe's most culturally vibrant City, less than 2 pages are given over to the arts and culture, with many of the objectives therein relating to built heritage.
No reference and no S.M.A.R.T objectives in relation to the provision and protection of artists’ workspaces, which are essential to the delivery of the other propounded objectives.
Frequent reference to the value of arts in Cork City in relation to tourism and night time economy needs to be balanced in favour of reference to the more significant role it plays and can continue to play in enhancing quality of life for citizens, communities and supporting inward investment eg: any major FDI in Cork’s recruitment page makes frequent and enthusiastic reference to the arts and cultural life in the City.
Specific Comments
8.1/2: Objectives do not address provision of supports, platforms and spaces for the City's artists and arts practitioners in order to support the wider objectives, as 8.14 states "The strengths of Cork’s arts and cultural sector lie in its people and organisations'. Suggest inclusion:
- To support the provision and protection of a permanent home for the City's largest artist studios, Sample-Studios for the City Centre's artists and artistic community to thrive.
- To support the provision of grants and quality platforms for the City's artists and arts practitioners to create sustainable creative careers in Cork.
First objective is to 'To promote and celebrate Cork City as a centre of excellence for arts, culture as well as the creative industries' - ‘promotion’ and ‘celebration’ are toothless terms in this context, particularly in the only line in the strategy to reference the ‘creative industries’ - (8.11 b and 8.13) Cultural practitioners are retained through provision of quality workspace, resources and platforms. The strategy needs to be more explicit in how it will ensure practitioners are retained in and attracted to Cork City through provision of workspace, resources and platforms.
'To grow Cork’s cultural capacity by retaining and attracting creative practitioners to live and work in Cork.' suggest change to 'To grow Cork’s cultural capacity by retaining and attracting creative practitioners to live and work in Cork, through the provision of creative workspaces in the City Centre'
8.11 d. 'To creatively engage citizens in shaping Cork’s cultural identity through implementation of the Creative Cork Strategy 2018 – 2022 and its successors.' This core objective of engaging citizens in shaping Cork's cultural identity should be tethered to the new Cork City Arts Strategy, not a now outdated (2018-2022) national Creative Ireland strategy, particularly when its future trajectory is uncertain beyond the cycle of the current government.
8.16 a. 'Stimulate cultural activity in Cork’s public spaces including greater use of empty premises and outdoor spaces.' Suggest 'Stimulate cultural activity in Cork’s public spaces including provision of empty premises for artist studios and outdoor spaces.
8.11 c and 8.14 Implementation timeline for new Arts Strategy should be included, particularly given we're in the strategy period 2021-2025 and the 2018-2022 strategy was derived from the national Creative Ireland strategy and the previous strategy 2011-2015 was extended to 2019. It has been a decade since the last meaningful 'Arts and Culture Strategy' was implemented so a specific timeline for this needs to be in the City Development Plan
8.1/2: Objectives do not address provision of supports, platforms and spaces for the City's artists and arts practitioners in order to support the wider objectives, as 8.14 states "The strengths of Cork’s arts and cultural sector lie in its people and organisations'. Suggest inclusion:
- To support the provision and protection of a permanent home for the City's largest artist studios, Sample-Studios for the City Centre's artists and artistic community to thrive.
- To support the provision of grants and quality platforms for the City's artists and arts practitioners to create sustainable creative careers in Cork.
First objective is to 'To promote and celebrate Cork City as a centre of excellence for arts, culture as well as the creative industries' - ‘promotion’ and ‘celebration’ are toothless terms in this context, particularly in the only line in the strategy to reference the ‘creative industries’ - (8.11 b and 8.13) Cultural practitioners are retained through provision of quality workspace, resources and platforms. The strategy needs to be more explicit in how it will ensure practitioners are retained in and attracted to Cork City through provision of workspace, resources and platforms.
'To grow Cork’s cultural capacity by retaining and attracting creative practitioners to live and work in Cork.' suggest change to 'To grow Cork’s cultural capacity by retaining and attracting creative practitioners to live and work in Cork, through the provision of creative workspaces in the City Centre'
8.11 d. 'To creatively engage citizens in shaping Cork’s cultural identity through implementation of the Creative Cork Strategy 2018 – 2022 and its successors.' This core objective of engaging citizens in shaping Cork's cultural identity should be tethered to the new Cork City Arts Strategy, not a now outdated (2018-2022) national Creative Ireland strategy, particularly when its future trajectory is uncertain beyond the cycle of the current government.
8.16 a. 'Stimulate cultural activity in Cork’s public spaces including greater use of empty premises and outdoor spaces.' Suggest 'Stimulate cultural activity in Cork’s public spaces including provision of empty premises for artist studios and outdoor spaces.
8.11 c and 8.14 Implementation timeline for new Arts Strategy should be included, particularly given we're in the strategy period 2021-2025 and the 2018-2022 strategy was derived from the national Creative Ireland strategy and the previous strategy 2011-2015 was extended to 2019. It has been a decade since the last meaningful 'Arts and Culture Strategy' was implemented so a specific timeline for this needs to be in the City Development Plan
Cork City is home to Sample-Studios, one of Ireland's largest artist studios which marks its 10th anniversary this year of providing workspaces for over 70+ arts practitioners and an audience of 15,000 annually. We are currently based on the peripheries of Cork City in Churchfield in a private premises, with a short term lease. We have potential for significant growth and further contribution to the cultural economy, if provision of quality space to offer us a permanent home were identified and committed to within this Strategy.