Goldsmiths, University of London
17-18 November 2012
At the end of 2010 Ireland became the second European Union (EU) country following Greece to receive a bailout loan from the EU/International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the Irish State reached a point of sovereign insolvency coinciding with the global financial crisis. Once the poster child of globalisation, Ireland is now the poster child of austerity, implementing a program of economic restraint including tax rises and public service funding cuts that curtails the recently found financial freedom in Irish society. In a crisis that is still unfolding, allegations of widespread corruption and cronyism in political and business life and a lack of civil morality in Irish society have emerged.
The Future State of Ireland seeks to examine the repercussions of the crash for an island on the periphery of Europe from a cultural perspective. Examining cultural responses both pre and post economic meltdown, the conference will explore the possibilities of a new post-crisis Ireland: from the highly visible to the barely perceptible consequences of the crash and austerity, sources and limits of citizen resilience in crisis, the perceived value of cultural responses and active/passive citizenships. It will provide an opportunity for leading thinkers and practitioners across different disciplines to come together to discuss artists’ and citizens’ reactions and resilience in times of crisis and austerity.
A programme of visual and live art focused on crisis, resilience and endurance will intersect the conference schedule. Artists presenting their work include Kennedy Browne, Anthony Haughey and Troubling Ireland.
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