Report on the Harping Tradition in Ireland

4.5 Arts Council awards and schemes
Awareness of Arts Council schemes and awards among the harping community is less
than 25% and only six individual harpers have received Arts Council support in the last
five years (amounting to an average investment of €19,284 per year).
The Arts Council could have a direct impact on creating more opportunity for Irish
harpers by raising awareness of available awards and encouraging more harpers to apply.
This could be achieved through public information initiatives at harp events such as
An Chúirt Chruitireachta, the O’Carolan Harp, Cultural and Heritage Festival in Nobber
and the O’Carolan Harp Festival in Keadue, Muckross Harp Trail, the harp recital at
Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, and Scoil na gCláirseach; through using the networks
of harp and music organisations; as well as a general publicity campaign.
These information initiatives could focus on the following awards:
• Deis scheme;
• Music / Traditional Arts Project awards;
• Music / Traditional Arts Bursary awards;
• Music / Traditional Arts Commissions awards;
• Deis Recording Award / Music Recording Scheme;
• Travel and Training Award;
• Touring and Dissemination Award;
• Beyond Borders.
Irish harping does not fit neatly into one genre. With a 1,000-year-old musical history, it
can go beyond our contemporary ideas of genre. Harpers applying to the Arts Council
have sometimes felt that they ‘fall between two stools’ when it comes to applying under
‘Music’ or ‘Traditional Arts’. When applying to Deis, for example, they have tried to second
-guess what aspect of their harp practice will be considered as suitable for ‘Traditional
Arts’ and shaped their proposal, and programme of activities, accordingly. The role of
Council funding is to support the full flowering of the harping tradition in a contemporary
context, and not hinder that expression. The Council should ensure that Music and
Traditional Arts schemes, awards and policies are flexible enough to accommodate a broad
range of Irish harping proposals and that the harp community is aware of these policies.
Recommendations
4.5.1 It is recommended that the Arts Council undertake a public awareness
initiative at harp events to encourage more harpers to apply for its current
range of schemes and awards.
4.5.2 The Council should ensure that Music and Traditional Arts schemes, awards
and policies are flexible enough to accommodate a broad range of Irish
harping proposals and that the harp community is aware of these policies.
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