Children gifted free books

New books will be gifted to children in a family hub, a Direct Provision centre and a Deis school in Cork. The gift package of new books by leading Irish authors is part of an Arts Council initiative to ensure that as many people as possible can experience Culture Night on Friday 18 September.

Encouraging all parents to participate with their children, the government agency for funding and developing the arts has partnered with Children’s Books Ireland to publish a special guide to 100 of the best Irish books for children. The Books Make Things Better reading guide will be distributed free of charge through bookshops and libraries or it can be downloaded on the internet.

The Good Shepherd Cork family hub, KASI direct provision centre in Millstreet in Cork and Scoil Na Cleire in Skibbereen will all benefit from the initiative.

“This is the first year that the Arts Council has taken on the stewardship of Culture Night, and it’s a year of extraordinary challenges, not least for artists and the entire arts sector,” said Arts Council Director Maureen Kennelly.

“We believe passionately that the arts are for every single person in Ireland, and that is at the heart of the Equality, Human Rights and Diversity policy we launched last year. That’s why we have invested in broadening and diversifying audiences and participation in Culture Night.”

Ms Kennelly said that because of the ongoing Covid-19 public health restrictions much of Culture Night would be virtual this year, but more than 1,000 real books would be delivered to families around the country to promote the joy of opening and reading a book.

“Ireland boasts a wealth of artistic talent that, this year more than ever, we must promote and support,” the Arts Council Director added.

“Our goals for Culture Night in 2020 are that it represents the vitality of art across diverse communities, that it acknowledges the value that art brings to all our lives, and its essential role in promoting wellbeing within society.”