Debate contribution: Valuing the Arts
Debate contribution by Mr Andy Allen MBE on .
- MLA
- Mr Andy Allen MBE
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 17 June 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Opposition Business
- Heading
- Valuing the Arts
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5013984
Read the official Assembly record
Text
In preparing for today's debate, I read and reread a broad range of documents. I also liaised with my colleague Pete Wray, who was very helpful in bringing information together. We have heard a lot of the important information, but what stood out for me more than anything in what I read was the consistency of the message that Northern Ireland's arts sector is full of talent and potential but continues to be held back by underinvestment. The arts matter. They are not a luxury, as we have already heard. They are part of how we live, learn and connect, and they contribute directly to our economy, our health, our education system and just about every part of government. However, let us be honest. We are not treating the arts as the priority that they ought to be. As we heard, the per head investment in the arts in Northern Ireland is the lowest anywhere in the United Kingdom, and it lags well behind that in the Republic of Ireland too. That gap is well known and long-standing and has repeatedly been highlighted by the sector as a serious and ongoing challenge. Earlier this year, the Minister said in this very Chamber:
"I do not believe that the arts get the level of funding that they deserve or require ... Funding the arts is an investment in people and our services". — [Official Report (Hansard), 14 January 2025, p33, col 2].
He is right, but words need to be turned into action. According to the previously referenced Arts Council 10-year strategic plan, funding has fallen by almost half in real terms since 2011, at a time when demand and public support have only grown. Seventy-nine per cent of people here support public investment in the arts; 87% believe arts and creativity improve health and well-being; and 81% say that arts and creativity build communities. While the strategic plan makes a strong case throughout, the following paragraph from the chief executive's foreword captures the situation particularly well:
"it is a regrettable truth that government investment in the arts sector in Northern Ireland has not always matched the incredible potential and impact it holds. Opportunities have been missed, and the growth of this wonderful sector has been hindered by a lack of adequate resources and recognition. But we refuse to be disheartened, for we firmly believe that our arts deserve better."
Part of the problem, as we heard from my Committee colleague, is structure. The arts touch everything, from health to education to the economy, but responsibility sits in the Department for Communities, which has a vast and diverse portfolio. That is not a criticism of the Minister; it is just a reality. The criticism that I have heard is that the arts do not always get the attention and resources that they need. That has to change. We need joined-up thinking across Departments, and we need multi-year funding, as called for in the motion, to allow organisations to plan and grow. We need local councils to be brought in as proper partners, and we need to make sure that access to the arts reaches every community —.
Thank you.
528 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.94).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.03 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.94 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.75 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.25 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:48 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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