The Arts Council of Ireland has announced the priorities and principles which will underpin its programme for next year, alongside the basis for its new strategy for supporting the arts. The Council is making a transition from its original 2002-2006 Arts Plan and has adopted five key principles as an interim roadmap, before a final re-examination of the Arts Council's vision, mission and values in September this year. The five principles are intended to reflect a more flexible, responsive organisation. They are: 1. Give practical support to artists at all stages of their working lives; 2. Support those who create environments that enable people to engage with the arts; 3. Encourage artists and arts organisations to draw their local communities into their activities and encourage local authorities to help and support this involvement; 4. Support artists and arts organisations who seek an international dimension to their work; 5. Encourage responsible management of the arts. The Arts Council is the primary financier of arts activity in Ireland, awarding assistance each year in the form of grants, bursaries and fellowships to individual artists, arts organisations, local authorities and other bodies. Decisions on these grants will also undergo a shift in priority for 2005, with the funding process geared toward consolidating the sector (by targeting specific areas of under-funding) and extending the reach of Council support. Arts Council Chair, Olive Braiden said today: ‘There is an urgent need to support what is energetic and new in the arts, and at the same time we need to ensure stability and continuity for our artists and arts organisations. The Arts Council's capacity to deliver on these ambitions rests on two vital elements - the Council's ability to lead and to guide, which I am confident we can do, and a strong commitment from Government to fund the arts in 2005 and beyond’. Along with the revamp of priorities for the coming year, the Council is preparing its new strategy for supporting the arts, scheduled for completion mid 2005. A key focus in the establishment process is facilitating strong communication between the Council and the arts community in order to create a ‘healthy’ relationship. Further information is available in Looking to the Future: a PDF document outlining the change in direction for the Council. For more information, visit www.artscouncil.ie