Aosdána

Aosdána (/iːsˈdɑːnə/; from Irish aos dána [iːsˠ ˈd̪ˠɑːnˠə] "people of the arts") is an Irish association of artists.[1] It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers with support from the Arts Council of Ireland. Membership, which is by invitation from current members, is limited to 250 individuals; before 2005 it was limited to 200. Its governing body is called the Toscaireacht.

Aosdána
Formation1981 (1981)
FounderCharles Haughey
TypeArtist's association
Legal statusquango
PurposeProvide financial support to artists
Professional title
Saoi, Toscaire
HeadquartersThe Arts Council, 70 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
Region
Republic of Ireland
Membership (2019)
40
Official language
English, Irish
Leader
A committee of ten members, the Toscaireacht
Websiteaosdana.artscouncil.ie

Formation

Aosdána was originally set up on the suggestion of writer Anthony Cronin,[2] by Taoiseach Charles Haughey, well known for his support for the Arts, although Fintan O'Toole has argued that this also served to deflect criticism of Haughey's political actions.[3]

Membership
Main article: List of members of Aosdána

The process of induction relies entirely on members proposing new members.[4] Applications by artists themselves are not allowed.

Cnuas

Some members of Aosdána receive a stipend, called the Cnuas (Irish pronunciation: [kn̪uəsˠ] lit. "collect, store" – a gift of financial aid put aside for the purpose of support), from the Arts Council of Ireland. This stipend is intended to allow recipients to work full-time at their art. The value of the Cnuas in 2015 was €17,180.[5]

Saoi
Main article: Saoi

The title of Saoi (lit. "wise one") is the highest honour that members of Aosdána can bestow upon a fellow member. No more than seven living members can be so honoured at one time. The honour is conferred by the President of Ireland in a ceremony during which a gold torc is placed around the neck of the recipient by the President.

As of 2020, the current living Saoithe are:[6]

Among the deceased holders of the title of Saoi are the Nobel Laureates Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney, dramatists Brian Friel[7][8] and Tom Murphy, and the artists Patrick Scott and Louis le Brocquy.

The poet Pearse Hutchinson, a member of Aosdána, described it as "a miracle and a godsend" that allowed him to continue writing at a time when he might have had to give up.[9] Composer Roger Doyle has also spoken about the difference it made: "I was elected to Aosdána in 1986. This gave me a small stipend from the Government each year, which enabled me to devote all my time to composing. This changed my life for the better and I have composed non-stop since then."[10]

The Toscaireacht

The Toscaireacht ("delegation") is a committee of ten members, called Toscairí, of the Aosdána. It meets several times a year to deal with the administration and external relations of Aosdána, reports to every General Assembly, which meets once a year, and sets its Agenda.[11][12] When new members of Aosdána are proposed, the Toscairí have the task of verifying that the nomination process has been complied with, and also that the candidate is willing to accept membership, before the next stage of election is begun.[13]

Elections

Toscairí are elected to the Toscaireacht by the members of Aosdána for two years at a time. All members of Aosdána are eligible for election, and nominations must be made in writing by three members. The electoral process is in two stages. First, within each of Aosdána's three disciplines (Music, Literature, and Visual Arts), the two nominees with the highest number of votes are elected: this guarantees a minimum of two Toscairí from each of the disciplines. Next, the remaining four places are filled by the remaining nominees from any discipline who have the highest number of votes.[11]

Meetings

The procedure at meetings is laid down in the Toscaireacht's Standing Orders. Minutes of its meetings appear on Aosdána's web site.[11]

Current Toscairí

As of 2020, the Toscaireacht included:[11]

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See also

References
  1. "The Arts Council - Ireland's government agency for funding and developing the arts in Ireland | Arts Council of Ireland". Artscouncil.ie. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  2. Stephen Prince, "Haughey's patronage of the arts sits perfectly with the image he craved:that of a Medici prince", The Sunday Times (London), 18 June 2006, p. 14
  3. Fintan O'Toole, "How Charlie came to be painted as a man of the arts", Irish Times, 10 February 2007, page 6.
  4. Electoral Procedures Archived 1 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, on the Aosdána Website
  5. "Cnuas | Aosdana". Aosdana.artscouncil.ie. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  6. "Saoi". Aosdána. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  7. "Brian Friel receives award from McAleese" Archived 3 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. RTÉ. 22 February 2006.
  8. "Prestigious award for playwright Friel". Irish Examiner. 22 February 2006.
  9. John Boland, "A great man in a low time", Irish Times, 29 March 1997
  10. "Electric Destiny", Irish Times, 21 October 2005, p. 5
  11. "Toscaireacht". Aosdána. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  12. Row looms within Aosdána over Ó Searcaigh documentary Archived 11 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine from irishtimes.com, dated Wednesday, 7 May 2008: "...the Toscaireacht – a representative body of 10 Aosdána members who meet regularly, and who set the agenda for each year's assembly"
  13. Aosdána at visual-arts-cork.com
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