Minister Humphreys said: “If we want to protect and promote our unique and varied culture, and encourage new cultural forms to flourish, we need to aim high. Culture 2025 will be Ireland's first ever national cultural policy. It will set out high level aims for the next decade, and reflect the important role that culture plays in our lives.

“I hope Culture 2025 can help create a platform for bringing together the numerous local, regional and national cultural entities, so they can share best practise and look at new ways of working together. As a high level document, the policy will set a framework for future strategies and plans in specific areas. It will be underpinned by the principle of upholding and supporting artistic freedom.

“The policy will also examine what challenges and opportunities are presented for culture in the digital age, and how the arts and culture can help to combat disadvantage. Ultimately, the development of our first ever cultural policy should be seen as an opportunity to increase participation in the arts across all strands of society. The policy will also look at how culture can help to build a more inclusive society.

“My Department facilitated a colloquium of cultural stakeholders at the end of May, which informed the development of this Discussion Document. Now, we are embarking on a nationwide consultation process to spark discussion and debate on how we should shape Ireland's first national cultural policy. I want this policy to be led by those involved in the sector, those who are passionate about the arts, and I am encouraging members of the public to make their views known.

“Through this discussion document we are posing a series of questions about how resources should be prioritised, how artists and creative workers should be supported, how access to culture can be improved in disadvantaged areas, and many other issues. This is the first time that everyone will have an opportunity to make their views known about why our culture is so important and what we want to achieve over the next decade.”

Submissions
To access the Culture 2025 Discussion Document and to make a submission, please visit www.ahg.gov.ie/en/Culture/Culture2025 or email culturalpolicy@ahg.gov.ie

Submissions can also be made in writing to:

Culture 2025, Cultural Institutions Unit
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
New Road
Killarney
Co. Kerry

Submissions will be accepted until 30 September 2015

Regional meetings
Regional consultation meetings will be held in Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Cavan in September. A one day symposium will also be held in Dublin Castle in early October to close the consultation process.

Definition of Culture
In its widest use, culture encompasses everything we do as a society and how we behave. However, for the purpose of the Culture 2025 Discussion Document, it is proposed that culture would include:

• The arts, as defined in the Arts Act 2003, which means "any creative or interpretive expression (whether traditional or contemporary) in whatever form, and including, in particular, visual arts, theatre, literature, music, dance, opera, film, circus and architecture and includes any medium when used for those purposes."'
• The creative industries, including film and television production, animation, broadcasting, electronic games, architecture, design and fashion, publishing, media and advertising.
• Cultural heritage, including galleries, libraries, archives and museums, built and natural heritage, Irish language and folk traditions. It would also include new cultural diversity and languages which have become part of Irish life in recent years.

In finalising the policy, regard will be given to views expressed as to whether any wider issues should be addressed, or indeed, whether the policy should be narrower in focus.

In finalising the policy, regard will be given to views expressed as to whether any wider issues should be addressed, or indeed, whether the policy should be narrower in focus.

Colloquium of Cultural Stakeholders
The drafting of the Culture 2025 Discussion Document was informed by input from a colloquium of cultural stakeholders, organised by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, in association with the Royal Irish Academy on 25 May 2015.

The members of the colloquium were:

• Feargal Ó Coigligh (Chair), Assistant Secretary, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
• Kevin Lonergan, Principal Officer, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
• Professor Ciaran Benson, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, UCD, former Chair of the Arts Council
• Dr Sandra Collins, Digital Repository of Ireland, Director of National Library of Ireland
• Pat Cooke, Director MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management, UCD
• Professor Michael Cronin, MRIA Centre for Translation & Textual Studies, DCU
• Professor Mary Daly, President, Royal Irish Academy Martin Drury Arts Council
• Sarah Glennie, Director Irish Museum of Modern Art, Chair of Council of National Cultural Institutions
• Lorelei Harris, Head of Arts & Cultural Strategy, RTÉ
• Andrew Hetherington, Director, Business to Arts
• Kerry McCall, Institute of Art, Design & Technology, National Campaign for the Arts
• Mary McCarthy, Director National Sculpture Factory, Cork Chair of Culture Ireland, Board Member of IMMA
• Professor Declan McGonagle, Director, NCAD
• Helen Shenton, Librarian & College Archivist, TCD
• Dr Mary Shine Thompson, Lecturer in English, DCU, & Chair, Encountering the Arts Ireland Willie White, Artistic Director, Dublin Theatre Festival