The Arts Council is the national agency for developing and leading the arts in Ireland. As the statutory expert body on the arts, we are policy driven and strategically focused.

We set policy to ensure that all of our decisions and actions are strategic and in the long-term interest of the arts in Ireland. While the Arts Council's financial investments are the most visible way in which it addresses its remit, other actions such as advice, advocacy and partnership are no less important.

We aim to have policies which are current and relevant and which are informed by our position as an expert agency with over 60 years of experience. It is this expertise that helps us to plan provision for all aspects of the arts, offer expert advice, advocate convincingly, develop effective partnerships and make good decisions about funding.

The Arts Council operates within a published strategy Making Great Art Work: Leading the development of the arts in Ireland (2016–2025) (PDF, 3.29 MB)

A dedicated Strategic Development Department was established in 2013 to provide increased focus on those aspects of the Arts Council's work as a development agency not primarily concerned with financial investment and funding relationships. The main areas of work for the Strategic Development Department are:

• Oversee implementation of Making Great Art Work. Arts Council Strategy (2016–2025)
• The arts audiences research and development project
• Spatial planning and provision – how we provide for the arts nationally and in partnership with local authorities
• Data and information - how we gather, manage and use information about the arts to inform policy development, strategic planning, and advocacy
• Research projects and partnerships