A group of theatre practitioners met and connected more by networking and sharing. They met informally for four or five years, moving around the country gathering members with great energy. Everyone agreed there should be less separation between the presenters of work (venues and festivals) and the makers of work (artists and presenters, touring companies). The sector wanted a collective voice to advocate for the performing arts to government as well as supporting the Arts Council’s advocacy.
In 2003, Theatre Forum was incorporated. Its mission was to be the collective voice for the performing arts, to represent the disparate views of members including theatre, dance and opera production companies as well as venues, festivals and individual artists. Support for each other and to improve circumstances for people making work was part of the thinking at that time too.
Membership was always available to individual artists and in 2018 the cost of this was greatly reduced in line with a commitment to keep artist issues and concerns to the fore. The following year, a Strategic Review confirmed Theatre Forum’s purpose as the membership organisation that highlights the needs of artists, arts workers and organisations to secure the resources needed for a sustainable performing arts sector.
In 2023, the company embarked on significal strategic review where it was decided to change the name to Performing Arts Forum to better reflect the diversity of the membership.
Our Goals
Performing Arts Ireland has three goals:
- Facilitate Connections
- Enable Change
- Provide Resources
Goal 1 Facilitate Connections
The first goal is to define pathways for members to engage with the organisation and facilitate the creation of deeper connections amongst members as well as across the performing arts community. Activities will be designed to generate higher levels of co-operation and more collaborations amongst the following groups:
- Artists and arts workers
- Arts organisations, including venues and festivals
- Production companies and hubs
- Resource organisations and partners
- Funders and policy makers.
Goal 2 Enable Change
The second goal is to be responsive to the needs of members and work collaboratively with ‘coalitions of the willing’ to model and identify the conditions necessary for systemic change. When needed, collect evidence to influence sectoral policy and strategy formulation and represent member and sectoral interests to partners, funders, and policy makers in the following areas:
- Access and inclusion for artists, arts workers, and audiences
- Artists and their professional development pathways
- Audience development
- Climate action and sustainability
- Employment and welfare
- Models of production and practice.
Goal 3 Provide Resources
The third goal is to provide pathways for members, partners, and stakeholders to engage with the organisation and to provide support and share useful resources with all. The organisation would play several key roles:
-
- Service Provider
To be an obvious provider of useful and accessible resources for members as well as the performing arts sector. - Connector/Forum
Be the forum where people get together and find ways to co-operate and collaborate around sectoral conversations and challenges. - Developmental role/ Incubation
Respond to gaps in ecosystem, support new networks and coalitions to emerge but to become self-sufficient.
- Service Provider