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Inaugural Creative Ireland Forum takes place

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar together with Culture Minister Josepha Madigan and the EU Commissioner for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Mr. Tibor Navracsics today  addressed the inaugural Creative Ireland Forum on Culture, Wellbeing andthe Creative Society at Dublin Castle. 

The Forum is an opportunity to share progress on the Programme to date and to draw inspiration from leading thinkers, policy makers and practitioners across the arts, education, health,  heritage, enterprise and wellbeing sectors.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said:

Some people see culture as an escape from the problems of the world, but I see it as part of the solution. It helps us understand who we are – and where we came from – and allows us to imagine a better future. The Government wants to encourage creativity at every stage of life. Just last week, we launched Creative Youth, which aims to ensure that our children are given the chance to explore and fulfill their creative potential because we know it boosts their sense of wellbeing. Today’s conference will look at how engaging in culture is good for our health and will also discuss the major contribution made by our creative industries. Ireland’s reputation as a hub of cultural activity can never be taken for granted; through Creative Ireland the Irish Government is making a strong statement that we value culture and creativity as an essential part of public life.

Culture Minister Josepha Madigan added:

Creative Ireland puts culture and creativity at the centre of public policy and I hope that at this Forum today we can explore together the opportunities to bring more creativity into all of our public policies and really put those words into concrete, tangible actions.  I am looking forward to hearing the ideas and experiences of you the audience, practitioners, artists, specialists, educationalists and all the other people represented here today.  This will help us build on the success to date and also plan for the future of the Creative Ireland Programme.

Culture, Wellbeing and Creative Society is being live streamed on the Creative Ireland Facebook Page.  https://www.facebook.com/CreativeIrl/

Full details of the Forum schedule are available atcreative.ireland.ie