Association of Local Authority Arts Officers

Mission Statement

The Association is the representative body for Local Authority Arts Officers in Ireland. The AOLAAO is a forum for discussion and a support for the development of its members’ work within their respective Local Authorities and other partners.

The members are uniquely placed to inform and actively shape arts policy development and programme delivery throughout Ireland.

Arts Officers seek to deliver equitable access by all of the many and diverse communities to excellent arts practice, as practitioners, participants and audience members. This applies to work in all disciplines, all contexts, voluntary, community and professional, nationally and locally.

There are 34 arts officers in City and County Local Authorities across Ireland

CONTACT
Association of Local Authority Arts Officers,
c/o Lucina Russell, Arts Officer, Kildare County Council, Riverbank, Newbridge, Co Kildare;
Tel: 045-448328; Email: lrussell@kildarecoco.ie

Executive Committee
Chairperson, Lucina Russell
Vice Chairperson, Muireann Ni Chonaill, Arts Officer, Laois County Council
Treasurer, Conor Nolan, Arts Officer, Waterford City Council

CURRENT EVENTS
In June 1985 the first County Arts Officer was appointed to Clare County Council, marking the beginning of a new relationship between the Arts Council and local authorities in promoting and developing the arts at local level. The national landscape of arts provision has been transformed in the intervening 25 years and local authorities redefined as key arts and cultural development agencies at local level.

A conference that marks 25 years of Arts Council and local authority partnership will take place in the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick on 25 and 26 November 2010.
Chaired by journalist and broadcaster Olivia O'Leary, senior contributors from Ireland, the UK and Australia will explore the role the role of the arts and culture in local development. A special live recording of RTE's Sunday Miscellany will be held at this landmark event.
Register on the conference website. http://ssl.jigsawmanagement.ie/ArtsCouncil2010/index.html

President Paints a Positive Picture (pdf file)