On Tuesday 8 September, over 100 creatives from across Northern Ireland came together to deliver a letter of No Confidence in Communities Minister Gordon Lyons at Stormont in a day of action organised by Equity. The colourful and noisy protest outside Northern Ireland's Parliament buildings preceded mass meetings with Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), after which dozens of creatives sat in the public gallery to hear Minister Lyons be grilled on the lack of an arts policy and underfunding of the arts.
Our jobs, our work, our art, and our communities deserve better than year on year of talk but no action and year on year of under-investment from this Assembly. We've got no policy, no funding, no future, and we say: no more!
Alice Adams Lemon, Equity Northern Ireland Official
Actors, artists, dancers, stilt walkers and more – many of them in costume – walked the mile-long approach to the Parliament buildings at Stormont, carrying Equity's Northern Ireland banner, flags and placards. Artists dropped off along the way to highlight the loss of artists from Northern Ireland’s cultural sector due to the lack of investment decimating the sector. Chants by the assembled creatives called on the Northern Ireland Executive to save the arts.
"Our jobs, our work, our art, and our communities deserve better than year on year of talk but no action and year on year of under-investment from this Assembly. We've got no policy, no funding, no future, and we say: no more!", said Equity's Northern Ireland Official Alice Adams Lemon, addressing the group of creatives. "We're asking the Assembly to listen to us, the artists and creatives from across the sector. The future of the arts in Northern Ireland could be so bright."
Actors Roisin Gallagher and Alan McKee were among local creatives interviewed by media outside the parliament buildings as part of the protest, with Gallagher saying the Minister was "not doing his job". McKee argued that "the arts is an economic driver" despite the low levels of funding it receives in Northern Ireland. The Minister, Gordon Lyons, came out to speak to Equity Northern Ireland Councillor Marina Hampton and the assembled protestors saying he "didn't have to come out and speak to you today" and defended his position. "I've had to take some difficult decisions," the minister said, but insisted he had "protected the arts" and had "done what I can with what I have".
Despite his efforts, the no confidence letter – which references “continued failure to provide the leadership, strategic direction and sustainable investment required to protect and develop Northern Ireland’s arts and cultural sector”, was delivered by Marina Hampton to the Northern Ireland Executive. An online version of the letter has been signed by 1,900 people in just over 24 hours since being launched on Tuesday. "We're seeing the impact of funding cuts with productions getting smaller and theatres only using people they've always used before” explained Marina. “Unless you're already established, you're not getting work and that's not good for the industry".
Many Equity members, artists and activists met with their MLAs, including members of Alliance Party and SDLP inside Stormont to raise their concerns about the lack of funding and arts policy. Over 400 meeting requests were submitted to 75 MLAs ahead of the day, resulting in several group meeting sessions in pre-booked rooms to accommodate the volume of artists and MLAs involved.
In the afternoon's Ministerial Questions session, several questions on arts funding and policy were levelled at the Minister, along with reference to Equity's protest and the letter of no confidence. Mark Durkan of the Alliance party said, "we've heard the promise of an arts policy before – it's like waiting for Godot, only it's waiting for Gordon", before asking Minister Lyons, "will the policy include the required funding to put the arts on a firm and fair footing?". The Minister responded saying "an arts policy is coming soon".
With the day's activities widely covered, including by BBC, radio, Belfast Live, Belfast Telegraph, Derry Now, Press Association and other outlets, Equity will be keeping the pressure on for an arts policy and funding that benefits the sector and communities across Northern Ireland.
