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Stormin' Stormont

• Stuart Bailie
• 10 Dec 07, 12:14 PM

Monday morning at Stormont, and Carson’s statue is surrounded by clowns, musicians, playwrights and a stray hobbit.

Many strands of the arts in Northern Ireland have come to voice their protests about government funding levels. You can read about the financial projections and the draft budget , but the demonstrators say they feel the the message is clear: from their point of view the new regime on the hill isn’t feeling overly generous towards the creatives and the people who bring culture to this place.

So while the tourists are increasingly thick on the ground, there’s a limited amount that we can show them. Music and literature may have brought prestige to the place in difficult times, but tell that to the ministers. And so we’re joined this morning by Martin Lynch and Glen Patterson, by the Ulster Orchestra, the Beat Initiative and the NI Arts Council.

We see community groups, children’s organisations, the circus school and various theatres. A series of MLAs come down the steps and say encouraging things.

Sadly, they’re not the guys with the real welly. So while there’s some good will up there, there are other ears that need further persuasion. Asking for arts funding isn’t a sexy process. But it needs doing, urgently.

Stu Bailie presents The Late show on Radio Ulster, every Friday from 10pm until midnight.

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