The Arts Council of Ireland has formally commended the work of local authorities around the country in developing the arts. Council Director, Mary Cloake, applauded “local authorities’ recognition of the value of placing professional expertise directly within the local authority to strategically develop the arts within a given locality.” “This truly shows how far local authorities have come in recognising the arts as a part of their core services and also shows how much local authority arts programmes have grown, in scale and ambition.” “The Arts Council cannot support the arts at local level alone – we have been working closely with local authorities across the country and the results have been very positive.” “The Arts Council is working with local authorities to enhance the quality of life for people of all ages, from the very young to the very old, for new and established communities and ethnic groups all across the country.” For more information, CLICK HERE