Galway's Arts' Consultation Process Hijacked

by Vera Wed Aug 26, 2009 01:08

Glad I don't live in a place as vindictive as Galway! I hope the Arts Council takes note at any rate of the lack of discussion and consultation around the proposed Arts strategy plan as the arts are supposed to be as democratic and transparent as anything else. No decision should be taken on arts plans at the City Council until writers, painters, actors and the rest have sat down with Sarah Searson, that's obvious. Her view should be independent of the views of City council.

by Fred Johnston Tue Aug 25, 2009 20:19 fred.johnston at rocketmail dot com 087.2178138

"Development of a new Arts Strategy for Galway City has not included consultation with the City or County's artists . . . "

Tell you what, numb-nuts: above is the original point of the posting. This has been common knowledge to people in the arts' world of Galway while you've been off being good. Now below is my number and e-mail. If you are allowed out at this time of night, call me; or find a cyber-café. Will you have the courage to c ontact me? Of course not. But there you have it. Otherwise stick to the question at hand and stop trolling like a child.

You can always write to a local Galway paper and give out but that means having to put your name and address at least in the paper's office and I know how much you hate that. So stick to the point of the discussion or go away. It's bed-time for you anyway.

by Fred Johnston Tue Aug 25, 2009 17:20

That didn't take long! Is this the same joker who sent, anonymously, a whole bunch of my published letters to The Arts Council before Christmas in the hope they'd remove our funding? One can't help noticing that, while attempting to ingratiate themselves in defence of City Hall here, 'Galway Independent,' (who clearly isn't very) has become a raving obsessive, stalking me through the columns of this site.

'Galway Independent' might recall that a solicitor's letter has already been issued by me in Galway to those who thought that it would be a good idea to circulate damaging and actionable correspondence.

The disturbed person engaged in collating every line I write has little thought for the image this portrays of cultural Galway and in this case, and clearly has nothing constructive to say. I suspect 'Galway Independent' keeps photos of me in his/her room. I dread to think what they do with them.

So now I ask 'Galway Independent' (who uses the name of a Galway newspaper, so original is their thought) to provide solutions for the democratic engagement of artists in Galway with the Arts Strategy. Perhaps, alternatively, someone can recommend a not-too-expensive doctor.

by Galway Independent Tue Aug 25, 2009 16:38

Here is a recent letter Fred Johnston published in The Galway Advertiser
http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/15136

He used another letter which had been published the previous week as the basis for his attack on the arts generally in Galway
http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/14924

As it turned out, read this letter at the link below which appeared the following week, and it becomes clear that there was no issue at all, but that Johnston jumped in to attack the Arts Festival without knowing the full facts. http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/15471

He should now apologise to Galway Arts Festival in the same letters pages of The Galway Advertiser.

If he does not, then not a word he says should be believed.