Douglas Hyde Conference puts the Creative Economy in the frame

Douglas Hyde Conference puts the Creative Economy in the frame

Broadcaster and Chair of the Douglas Hyde Conference Cathal MacCoille joined Una McCarty, Head of Festivals, Street Arts & Spectacle at the Arts Council and Stuart McLoughlin, CEO of Busines2Arts today to launch the programme of the 2009 Douglas Hyde Conference which takes place in the Abbeyfield Hotel, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th October.

“Culture and the Economy - Creativity & Innovation in post-boom Ireland” is the title of this year’s conference and it features artists, thinkers and representatives from Culture Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, The Arts Council, Irish Film Institute, the European Commission, Business2Arts, and Roscommon County Council among others to explore the potential of the Creative Economy.

While creativity is most evident or pronounced within the arts sector, it is the characteristic essential to the development of new solutions in any sphere. The lateral thinking, multiple intelligences and problem solving skills used in the arts sector is the same creative thinking employed in technology, the environment, education or industry - creativity is the quality that allows the next new step to be conceived.

Not only is it important that we continue to value the creative sector, but perhaps now, in the current climate, it is vital that we look to culture, creativity and innovation and better examine the benefits the creative sector brings to our society, and to our economy.

Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sports & Tourism will deliver the opening address with Mayor Tony Ward at the first night of the conference on Friday evening and he will be joined over the weekend by amongst others, Mícheál O' Súilleabháin, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance /Culture Ireland; Finbarr Bradley, Co-author of “Capitalising on Culture, Competing on Difference”; Roger O'Keeffe, European Commission Directorate General of Education and Culture; John Concannon, Fáilte Ireland; Sarah Glennie, Irish Film Institute; Garry Hynes, Druid Theatre Company; Michael John Gorman, The Science Gallery and Alice Lyons, Poet and Visual Artist.

The conference is jointly sponsored by Roscommon County Council and the Western Development Commission (WDC).  

Lisa McAllister, Chief Executive of the WDC said, “The WDC is very pleased to collaborate with Roscommon County Council on this important conference as part of our work to position the Western Region as Ireland’s hub for the creative industries.  Earlier this year we undertook extensive research into the Creative Sector in the Western Region to assess its size, the critical issues for the sector and to devise recommendations to develop the sector and the Western Region as a creative region.  The research showed that in 2008, the sector employed 11,000 people across counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and Clare and generated €534m.”

The WDC is interested in promoting the creative sector because it has strong growth potential, generates high quality employment, stimulates innovation in other sectors, plays a key social role and can stimulate both rural and regional development.  

This is the 22nd Douglas Hyde Conference which was founded in 1988 by Roscommon County Council to celebrate the life, interests and legacy of the President, poet and playwright Douglas Hyde. This year Roscommon County Council and the Western Development Commission have come together to develop a series of three programmes for the Douglas Hyde Conference for 2009, 2010 and 2011 exploring the potential of the Creative Economy.

The Conference Concert on Saturday evening features the unparalleled talents of Máirtin O’Connor, Cathal Hayden, Séamie O’Dowd and Jimmy Higgins and on Sunday morning archaeologist Niall Brady will deliver a talk on medieval settlement in the area followed by a field trip to some of the nearby sites in the region best known for Queen Maeve’s fort and the Táin Bó Cuailnge which the Discovery Programme have been investigating over the last four years.

For further information and booking please go to www.roscommonarts.com/hyde or contact Philip Delamere, Roscommon County Arts Office on 09066 37285 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .