A CALL went out from Limerick Council chambers for a pilot scheme to be developed that offers young people living in Limerick, aged 18-22, the opportunity to apply for a ‘Local Culture Voucher’ from Limerick Arts Office.
As a way of promoting youth engagement, Social Democrats councillor Shane Hickey-O’Mara suggested the voucher could be used to attend events at participating local cultural venue – which the venue could then redeem from Limerick Arts Office.
“As local councillors, we don’t have the power to help young people in many of the areas of their lives that they need support most, other than asking Ministers for help. We can’t help them to move out of their childhood bedrooms, improve their employment standards, or make public transport arrive on time so they make it in to work and/or college,” Cllr Hickey-O’Mara said.
“One small thing we can do in this chamber is to help provide opportunities for young people to engage with the cultural fabric of their city while they’re still here.”
The City North representative said he wants his idea to be seen as a means of inviting young people into our cultural venues, encouraging them to make positive memories in Limerick, to build connections, explore their creativity, and to show them that their city is willing to invest in them.
“Tickets for cultural events were a lot cheaper when I was just out of secondary school, but, simultaneously, young people in this age group are generally broke no matter what generation,” he said.
“I remember being 18 or 19 and scrounging together the price of a ticket in order to go to plays in the Belltable that were on my course in Mary I, but seeing this work was directly responsible for my pursuing a career in the Arts in Limerick.
“This initiative isn’t just about facilitating future Limerick artists, it’s also about making sure that young people have the opportunity to enjoy gigs, shows, exhibits and festivals in their city. Actions such as this one are being taken all over Europe, why not in Limerick?”
In response, Council Arts Officer Etain McCooey said that Limerick City and County Council aims to improve access to arts and culture opportunities for young people, through initiatives such as supporting youth theatre and youth choir projects, Culture Night and programmes for youths.
– Local Democracy Reporting Scheme