For those looking for guidance on voting where policies on the arts, culture and the Creative Industries would be a key issue, there really isn’t much to report from this particular election.
For a general appraisal you can look at Community Arts Partnership’s Chief Executive Officer, Conor Shields’ CAPtain’s Blog at the following link.
CAPtain’s Blog: Vote Early, Vote Arty
Manifestos
Looking through the manifestos of the local parties there are few, if any, mentions of the arts, culture and the Creative Industries. There are no headline items that we could find, where policies are outlined, (the Green Party NI does have a post on their website but that doesn’t appear in the election manifesto).
There is some mention about AI and copyright protection but nothing substantial enough to discuss as a key policy commitment.
Making Music offers an investigation of the commitments to the arts in the manifestos of the main parties – but when it comes to Northern Ireland they found, as we did, very little if anything.
makingmusic.org.uk – Party pledges – Election 2024 (pdf)
Social Media
There isn’t anything more substantial regarding the arts sector on the various party social media pages.
The View
Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody spoke specifically about the need for increased funding for the arts on the television programme, “The View”. You can see the interview at the link below and there were quite a few shares of that interview on social media.
Gary Lightbody also spoke at the launch of the Arts Council’s 10 year strategy. That short speech can be seen at the link below
There are some articles about the UK election particularly summarising the policy commitments from the political parties beyond Northern Ireland. You can see the articles at the following links.
www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/06/28/uk-election-dawn-of-a-new-era
www.campaignforthearts.org/general-election-2024-what-are-the-parties-pledging-for-the-arts/
Arts Hustings
And a number of organisations came together to set up an arts hustings. The discussion can be seen at the link below – from the local parties there are representatives from the Alliance Party and the SDLP
www.youtube.com/live/SIH8KWxh_Zo?si=tzOJxeguZCI-mBYI
The key points in that discussion are summarised in the article at the following link.
www.youtube.com/live/SIH8KWxh_Zo?si=8043MupsV8t2mox-
CAP Summary
For something a little more general, although a little outdated, Community Arts Partnership pulled together a round-up of manifesto commitments to the arts some years ago. It does offer, at least, a general orientation to what the local parties might commit to in a future Assembly election.
www.capartscentre.com/2017/02/the-arts-in-the-assembly-elections-2017/