Cork City Council Arts Strategy 2022-2026

Lord Mayor’s Message

Lord Mayor’s Message

Cork has long been a city that embraces its unique culture and Cork City Council is fully committed to arts and culture as a pillar of our public service. Through the arts, the city and its people find expression for the layers of our shared lives in this place. Through story, song, play and image we can convey all that is beautiful and joyous but also find ways to process the challenges and sorrows we sometimes face. Through the hardship of global pandemic the arts and culture provided solace. The value of arts in our lives has never been so apparent. As Cork city grows our population and our culture is evolving. The potential of arts and culture for accessibility, interpretation and understanding of different cultures is vital for a resilient, inclusive society. The arts and culture can serve to connect us with our humanity and help us to see each other with fresh and empathetic eyes. The arts can also help us to understand our past through a different lens. For example, throughout this Decade of Commemorations, arts and culture have enabled our history to be interpreted in new and accessible ways. In the extensive consultation conducted in the preparation of this arts and culture strategy, the message came back, loud and clear, that the people of Cork value the rich arts and cultural offering of the city and want to see it thrive. This Cork City Council Arts and Culture Strategy aims to achieve just that. I would like to commend all those who engaged in the development of the strategy and I look forward to its implementation over the next five years.

Cllr. Deirdre Forde Lord Mayor

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