All this talk about public ‘support’ for the Arts – it usually is associated with money (and the lack of it). Yes, this is very important, but money alone doesn’t make it thrive. Despite funding going up or going down, I am still overwhelmed by the generosity of the community to make it all happen.

Last week we had our annual photocall for the launch of the 59th Wexford Festival Opera.  This is always a mini-fete in coordination and a bit of a challenge to pull-off, as resources –on the surface- seem to be limited.  Still, I am constantly surprised and overwhelmed by the limitless show of goodwill given by people to help us in any way possible.  Goodwill is the one thing the recession can’t take away from us!  It’s a bit like farming – it can’t happen without your neighbours – in this case fellow artists, local businesses, interns, chemists – don’t ask – baristas and the regular people on the street. 

It’s always been there in the Arts (and farming) – interdependency.  Interdependency of resources, artistic and financial, vision and determination.  We’ve never been able to afford not to have it and while – like farming, there have been amazing technological advances allowing us to work faster and better – we still can’t do without ‘People Power’.  Even during these tough times I hear people in the arts talking about using the down-turn as an opportunity to find a better path – positive, positive, positive!  That is why we need the arts.  Our attitude makes us survive – like farmers!  We just keep doing it – despite the climate!  But this attitude is fed by our community – our neighbours. 

Some might think that support for the Arts is about going to see a performance or an exhibition, but it is much more a part of people’s lives then they may realize.  So thank you to all who supported our photocall last week – you may not know who you are, but you are some of the greatest patrons of the Arts!  You feed us, encourage us and make us feel like the Arts matter.  So thank you to the Barista that made our coffee on that cold, early Monday morning and still managed to smile at us, to Naill at the Men’s Clothing Shop in Wexford (Fitzgerald’s) that made our ‘Conductor’ look so well -  to Mark’s Dad who found a baton at the last minute, to the dear friend that routed around her attic one Sunday morning looking for Opera Glasses, to the companies that gave their workers the day off to do this photocall, to the award-winning designer who personally put together a few outfits for us to use, to the local Chemist – don’t ask, to the lady in the cross-walk who gave out to the impatient driver who was annoyed with our antics, to all the people who stopped to watch what was going on and walked away smiling and wishing us luck and many, many more of you.  Thank you for helping us with the Harvest.

You’ve all contributed to Wexford Festival Opera happen - maybe you didn’t know it, but for that we are eternally grateful.  I hope it brought a smile to your face as it did to mine.  It’s something that will stick with me.  Knowing that people genuinely want to help; want to make ‘art’ happen; want to find a reason to smile.  The Arts aren’t a separate community that joins up with the ‘regular’ community from time to time.  We are part of the same community whether we know it or not.  For that reason the Arts will continue to harvest year after year – some years the yield will be better than others – but the seasons will continue – thank goodness - and we look forward to new growth.  So to all of you in Wexford and Grafton Street and many places in between, thank you for supporting Wexford Festival Opera.

Till next time.

Lilly