Remarks at a reception for European Producers and Broadcasters
20 March 2013
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Tá an-áthas orm fáilte a chur romhaibh go léir anseo go Baile Átha Cliath chun deiseanna comhléirithe sa drámaíocht scannán a iniúchadh. Tá súil agam gur éirgh leis na pléití a bhí agaibh go dtí seo, agus go raibh deis agaibh tuilleadh a fhoghlaim maidir le drámaíocht scannán na hÉireann agus na fáthanna go meallann an tír seo an oiread sin déantóirí scannán anall chugainn.
[I am delighted to welcome you all here this evening to Áras an Uachtaráin, as you complete the first part of your two day visit to Dublin to explore co-production opportunities in film drama. I hope your discussions so far have been fruitful, and that you have had the opportunity to come to know more about the making of Irish television drama and the reasons why this country attracts so many international film makers.]
As a former Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht from 1993 – 1997 and President of the Council of Culture Ministers and Broadcasting Ministers of the EU when Ireland held the Presidency I have a long relationship with makers of film and broadcasting. I am deeply interested in the debate on the creative industries and have continually stressed the importance of the cultural space and the large – but perhaps more recently insufficiently appreciated – contribution of the creative industries to economic growth and employment. Indeed, during my time as Minister, I re-established the Irish Film Board in order to fully develop the innate talent and technical facilities available in Ireland at that time and to optimise the imaginative and creative skills which existed in the industry.
The creative industries are among the most dynamic sectors in world trade. Between 2000 and 2005 international trade in creative goods and services grew at a rate of 8.7%. The value of world exports in creative goods and services reached 424.4 billion, 3.4% of total world trade.
The turnover of the European creative industries was 654 billion in 2003, employing 5.6 million people. In comparison to other industry sectors, the creative industries is one of the most important in Europe: there are few other sectors which contribute more than 3% to the national GDP, which is the case in France, the UK, Norway, Finland and Denmark.
When I was inaugurated as President of Ireland, I committed myself to championing creative communities. I believe that encouraging the development of creativity in our communities and ensuring opportunities for creative expression not only lays the groundwork for sustainable employment in creative industries but also enriches our social, cultural and economic development. Arts and culture is a unique sector, not just in its employment-creation potential but in the sustainability of such employment, its capacity for regional dispersal and the economically attested high multiplier it generates for local economies.
The cultural space is a wider space than the economic space and in times of recession and unemployment even more important. We need to see economics and economic policy as the servant of mankind in his broadest cultural sense. Economics cannot be allowed to be the master of mankind. Indeed good economic theory would never claim this. Culture can help us understand the many facets of sustainability and promote a new sense of solidarity.
It can positively inspire a model of economy that values fairness and is ethically robust. Culture is therefore an ingredient of society and public policy, but much more, it is the space in which practice of policy takes place. It needs to be brought in from the margins and not treated as a residual matter that is transgential to the needs of the real economy.
Like all industries, the creative industries must continue to evolve, to advance and to adapt to a digital age and a progressively globalised world. Always building on the wisdom gained from past achievements, the audiovisual industry must be agile in reading the spirit of the times. It requires the discernment to combine the best of tradition with the advent of each new technology – it is in fact about tradition, translation and transmission. The sector provides a platform for exciting synergies between education and culture. Partnership and collaboration are at the heart of the film-making process. Having the vision, the imagination and the technical capability to put the right people together at the right time and in the right location is a crucial part of the creative process.
Co-production has, in recent years, become an increasingly important and indeed creative element of the film making process. Co-production opens up new territories for film makers to explore and develop; provides access to new markets; creates new opportunities to learn from international partners; and, of course, offers enormous cultural benefits to all of those involved in the film making process. While international co-production is not a new concept in the film-making industry, it is an area that has been developing and increasing in recent years.
Ireland has been a signatory to the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production for over twelve years and in addition to this European arrangement we have also entered into official co-production agreements with Australia, New Zealand and Canada. We have proved to be valuable and popular production partners.
I strongly believe that there is a huge appetite among our people for new narratives and fresh perspectives in film and TV production. People are tired of the homogenized offering that characterizes a great deal of the output that emanates from the other side of the Atlantic. They are looking for something that broadens their horizons, engages their minds, and stimulates their imagination.
The success of the so called “Nordic Noir” genre of TV drama in Ireland and Britain over the last year or so shows that quality drama has the capacity to transcend what superficially might be presented as off-putting to English-speaking audiences. Neither unfamiliar landscapes, English subtitles nor the particular subtleties of Danish politics deterred British and Irish audiences from enjoying and acclaiming TV dramas such as “Borgen” or “The Killing”. Relatively small countries that have the right artistic talent, the right technical capacity, the right support from Government and, most importantly, the courage to tell the story in their own distinctive way have the capacity to compete very successfully on the global film market.
Ireland has much to offer in the sphere of film production. We have always, as a nation, been proud of our creativity and of our international reputation in the fields of literature and theatre. As a country we are strongly defined, in the eyes of the world, by our artistic success. In addition to a resource that gives depth to the quality of Irish life, our writers, actors and artists are considerable reputational assets for this country. Ireland is rich now in all the skills of film making and has reputation; as I can attest having certified for Tax relief the films beginning with Braveheart and concluding with Saving Private Ryan.
We are determined to build on that success and to further enhance it. In recent years we have used our innate creativity and innovation capacity to grow and progress the Irish film and television industry, an industry in which we also take great pride. Many major television series have been filmed in studios and on location in Ireland over the past number of years while Irish producers have been creating their own large-scale TV series which have been developed in this country and financed internationally.
Successive Irish Governments have proactively supported the growing film industry. In fact, the introduction of an innovative film production tax incentive has made Ireland an extremely competitive location for film production. This, in turn, has encouraged the emergence of an impressive craft and skills base amongst Irish people employed in the film industry.
Irish talent has now been recognized and appreciated across the industry with many of our actors and film crews receiving prestigious international awards including Golden Globes, Emmys and Baftas. Despite being a small country, we are very proud of the extraordinary wealth of talent that we can now possess in the fields of acting, directing, and screenwriting.
Magnificent Irish landscapes have also created spectacular backdrops for many well known films across the years including, as I have already said, Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan and Excalibur and many more.
Here on this relatively small island, you can move from the picturesque tranquility of the midlands to the dramatic beauty of our coastlines to the buzz of our towns and cities where the contemporary tone of urban life is softened and nuanced by the depth and breadth of our culture.
Last year was a remarkable one for the industry here with overall production activity for the Irish film, television and animation industry being valued at 250 million euro. Approximately 118 million euro was invested in Irish film and television projects by foreign sources and total expenditure across the sector increased by thirty per cent. We currently have in excess of six thousand people employed in the sector.
I am delighted that so many have recognised the desirability of Ireland as a film location and have been prepared to invest in Irish made films. Their investments have not only made a significant contribution to the national economy and Exchequer but have also greatly contributed to the creation of an indigenous film industry in this country.
In conclusion, Ireland has much to offer the film industry, an industry that continues to go from strength to strength while playing an important role in the cultural life of Europe. We know however that there is always more to be done, new challenges to rise to, new forms of narrative to be explored and captured on film. Our cultural and artistic identity as a nation gives us a competitive advantage that we are eager to build on as we forge new partnerships with filmmakers across Europe.
We have much to gain from working closely with our fellow European broadcasters and producers and, I believe, we have much to offer you in return. I would like to conclude by thanking you, once again, for coming here today. I hope your visit to Ireland proves to be beneficial and that many new and exciting projects will emerge from this important initiative.
Go raibh mile maith agaibh go leir.