Money doesn’t have a sense of humour. Or at least that’s what the Arts Council would have you believe. Bafflingly, there’s no provision under the Arts Act (2003) for the funding of stand-up, sketch, or improv comedy of any kind. Music, fine art, architecture, and theatre are all provided for under the current system. In other words, you can sing and dance in as many brutalist Dada-influenced black box theatres as you like – just so long as you don’t stop to crack any jokes while you’re at it.
Yes, it seems as if it’s not just the Academy Awards who refuse to recognise humour as a legitimate means of expression. We have some lovely red tape of our own put in place just to stop any simple-minded jesters who might dare rise above their station. As far as the powers that be are concerned, comedy is not an art form worth investing in.
But that may be about to change.
Last month, Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh submitted his proposed legislation to amend the Arts Act and end the exclusion of comedians from Arts Council funding. The party’s spokesperson on Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture explained his suggested amendment in a public statement:
“This Bill is no joke… The art of comedy and the comedians who write and perform are in effect being excluded from opportunities for arts funding, resources, and development… This doesn’t have to be the case, as the Arts Act of 2003 defines the arts as any creative or interpretive expression in whatever form, and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has stated that the already-recognised art of theatre could be interpreted to include standup, improv and sketch comedy.”
“The Arts Council has, however, chosen a narrower interpretation, with comedians explicitly excluded from eligibility for theatre bursaries and the basic income for the arts, left with no pathway to arts funding… Other Arts Councils fund comedy, including in Scotland and New Zealand… Given the international renown of Irish comedians around the world, it is important that comedians are valued at home, not least because of the joy they inspire, the reflection they provoke, and the jobs and venues they sustain which help facilitate other art forms and community engagement with the arts, none of which are a laughing matter… Making this one-word amendment to the Arts Act could recognise the work and contribution of a cohort within the arts that has long been neglected.”
Ó Snodaigh’s bill comes as a direct result of an online petition which received over 1,000 signatures. Last February, comedian Ailish McCarthy started the petition seeking financial support from the Arts Council for the Irish comedy scene.
Just a few months later, McCarthy launched the Irish Comedy Guide with co-founders Damo Clark and Eddie Malarkey. This website serves as a comprehensive events listing covering regular gigs all across the country and doubles as a place where comedians can promote their own shows.
On Facebook, McCarthy also regularly posts new opportunities for comedians, encouraging a network of like-minded performers to pursue their craft further.
It’s clear from all her efforts that McCarthy is at the forefront of a small movement to grow the Irish comedy scene from the inside out – to attract new funding and promote safe spaces where performers can work without needing to look further afield to the UK or Australia.
I recently got in touch with the comedian to ask about her campaign for access to funding…
Why do you think it’s important that live comedy receives public funding as so many other art forms do here in Ireland?
Ailish McCarthy: I think it’s important that comedians have access to the same resources and supports as their performing counterparts. It’s inequitable to exclude art forms that have been around a long time and Ireland has a huge reputation abroad. I am not challenging the quality controls and assessment criteria of the Arts Council of Ireland, I just feel that if comics have projects that fit the bursaries’ objectives, let us apply.
How have you become involved in the push for reform?
Ailish McCarthy: I started advocating in January 2023 when I was in the process of getting a mortgage for a house. There was a narrative that there are no supports for comedy in Ireland. I wanted to see if this was true. I asked myself: which is faster, a case for comedy, or buying a house in the current climate? I bought my house in February 2024.
How do you think public funding will affect the Irish comedy scene at large?
Ailish McCarthy: It’s known that Irish acts travel to the UK to have a career in comedy due to lack of supports at home. I feel like funding through Agility Awards will mean more jobs in production and more shows for the public. It’s also bound to attract an audience that is currently not being reached.
Do you think that comedy is taken less seriously here compared to something like dramatic theatre?
Ailish McCarthy: I don’t. We sell out in venues around Ireland. But other art forms have more support when it comes to springboards like mentoring, development, touring, and creating jobs. We just want the same access. The Agility Award is open to all other art forms to pay for their time to research and develop work, as an example. I think someone in the Arts Council just decided it wasn’t an art form, it wasn’t challenged, and a case hasn’t been made for it since. Then I came along and made a case to fix that.
On behalf of anfa collective, I reached out to an elected representative of every major political party in the country to ask them if they will support the forthcoming bill.
Senator Marie Sherlock, Labour Party Spokesperson on Employment Affairs, Media, Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, responded as follows:
“We in the Labour Party are very much supportive of any initiative to include all art forms in arts council funding and for any other recognition within the arts in Ireland. In that regard we are supportive of the proposed amendments to the Arts Act and we look forward to supporting the bill when it is put before the Dáil and the Seanad.”
“We know that comedy is an important art form in Ireland, particularly given the difficult period we’re in, the role of comedians and comedy as a whole in bringing a smile to people’s faces cannot be understated. Our country has a long and proud tradition of arts and culture, that’s something we believe needs to be treasured and supported.”
“We hope the government will support amendments like this which will give many people the opportunity to showcase their talent, make our communities more vibrant places, and contribute to the cultural fabric of the country.”
Comedy is a popular art form with a deep connection to our oral storytelling tradition. When Irish people talk about the craic, they are referring to the sense of fun and mischief embedded deep in our national psyche. So maybe sometimes we take that quality for granted. But make no mistake, it takes a lot of work to make people laugh for a living.
Death is easy. Comedy is hard.
That’s how the saying goes. And it goes that way for good reason.
If you want to create good comedy, you must think in terms of character, narrative, structure, and tension, amongst other things. And often these elements are created right there on the spot in the middle of a live performance in front of an audience. Unfortunately, stage time is a valuable resource in the Irish comedy scene and there is only so much of it to go around. Public funding could help provide additional spaces to write and develop material. Legitimate recognition by the Arts Council may also foster a greater sense of security amongst professional performers in an industry all too vulnerable to poor wages and toxic behaviour.
Additionally, unique opportunities for those less represented onstage could help increase diversity and create new outlets for previously marginalised voices. And of course, public funding would provide the opportunity for performers to experiment with material unsuitable for the average pub or club. For if the scene is to grow and evolve behind the scenes, then bursaries must incentivise creative risks as well as entertainment.
With such pressing concerns at stake, there remains the question of why exactly the comedy scene has been neglected by the Arts Council for so long. Perhaps it’s simply been assumed that the industry does not need any public funding. In fairness, there were quite a few high-profile corporate sponsors splashing cash on festivals and tours during the late 1990s / early 2000s Irish comedy boom. And if the private sector is willing to intervene for the mutual benefit of both parties, then there is no need to reach into the taxpayers’ pockets. Well, that’s the theory anyway.
But corporations come and go. Deals and contracts have fixed endpoints. Plus, festivals and events cannot survive off of brand synergy alone. And besides which, such deals are largely only to the benefit of a small minority of established talent, particularly with the rise of paid social media sponsorships. What we need is a system that funds talent from the bottom up, not from the top down. How else can young comedians be expected to learn their craft and discover their own unique voices?
It’s been said that comedy equals tragedy plus time. That’s a pretty nifty equation. But it doesn’t look so good on a spreadsheet. So let’s start dealing in numbers and currencies. After all, if it’s good enough for the World Economic Forum, it’s good enough for the fly in your soup.
Erm… Hey, waiter? Cheque, please!
