Aosdána
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use Hiberno-English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox organization Aosdána (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell, Template:IPA; from Template:Lang, 'people of the arts') is an Irish association or academy of artists, each of whom must have produced a distinguished body of work of genuine originality.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was created in 1981 by the country's Arts Council on the initiative of a group of writers with support from the Taoiseach. Membership, which is by invitation from current members, is limited to 250 individuals; before 2005 it was limited to 200. Its steering body is a committee of 10, called the Toscaireacht.
Formation
Aosdána was originally set up by the Arts Council, on the suggestion of writer Anthony Cronin,<ref>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</ref> with support from the 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.<ref>Fintan O'Toole, "How Charlie came to be painted as a man of the arts", Irish Times, 10 February 2007, page 6.</ref> The first 89 members were chosen by the Arts Council.
Membership
Template:Main The process of induction relies entirely on members proposing new members, with a system of selective voting used to filter applications.<ref>Electoral Procedures Template:Webarchive, on the Aosdána Website</ref> Applications by artists themselves are not allowed.
Stipend (Cnuas)
Some members of Aosdána resident in Ireland receive a stipend, called the Cnuas (Template:IPA, Template:Lit; 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 2021 was €20,180 (about £17,000 or US$23,000), having been around €17,000 for some years before that.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>John Boland, "A great man in a low time", Irish Times, 29 March 1997</ref> 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."<ref>"Electric Destiny", Irish Times, 21 October 2005, p. 5</ref>
Honour - Saoi
Template:Main The title of Saoi (lit. "wise one") is a national honour that members of Aosdána can bestow upon a fellow member. No more than seven living members (previously five) 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.
Template:As of, the current living Saoithe were:<ref name=saoi>Template:Cite web</ref>
- George Morrison, film-maker
- Roger Doyle, composer
- Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, poet
- Paul Muldoon, poet
Among the deceased holders of the title of Saoi are the Nobel Laureates Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney, dramatists Brian Friel<ref>"Brian Friel receives award from McAleese" Template:Webarchive. RTÉ. 22 February 2006.</ref><ref>"Prestigious award for playwright Friel". Irish Examiner. 22 February 2006.</ref> and Tom Murphy, and the artists Patrick Scott, Louis le Brocquy, and Camille Souter, and novelist Edna O'Brien.
Governance
Toscaireacht and Assembly
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 the assembly's agenda.<ref name=tosc/><ref>Row looms within Aosdána over Ó Searcaigh documentary Template:Webarchive 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"</ref> 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.<ref>Aosdána at visual-arts-cork.com</ref>
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.<ref name=tosc/>
Meetings
The procedure at meetings is laid down in the Toscaireacht's Standing Orders. Minutes of its meetings appear on Aosdána's website.<ref name=tosc/>
Current Toscairí
Template:As of, the Toscaireacht members are:<ref name=tosc>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Cecily Brennan (Chair) (Visual Arts)
- John Scott (Choreography)
- Evelyn Conlon (Literature)
- Jimmy Murphy (Literature)
- Peter Sirr (Literature)
- John McLachlan (Music)
- Gráinne Mulvey (Music)
- Amanda Coogan (Visual Arts)
- Eithne Jordan (Visual Arts)
- Mick O'Dea (Visual Arts)