‘An irony and an injustice’ that comedians are not recognised as artists

Comedians have asked for an end to a “legislative blind spot” that means they are not considered for arts funding.

The Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024 looks to change the definition of “arts” by inserting, “comedy” after “circus” in the legislation.

Sinn Fein TD Aengus O Snodaigh said his bill was “very small, very short” and aimed to end “discrimination” that comedians faced.

TDs and senators said that the government’s decision to delay the bill for 18 months, when it only involved inserting one new word in the bill, was “exceptionally disappointing” and “not good enough”.

At a briefing event in Leinster House on Thursday, comedian Ailish McCarthy, who has led the campaign, said that comedy “is not a fringe pursuit, but a vital pillar of Irish artistic life”.

She said the bill offered a “legislative pathway to bring comedians under the same umbrella of support that already exists for theatre, dance, literature, film and music”.

She said that the Arts Council can only fund what is named in legislation and that the omission of comedy has “enormous consequences”.

“Comedians, stand ups, improvisers and sketch performers are automatically excluded from applying for support.

“For a country that prides itself on its wit, its humour and its world-class storytelling, that is both an irony and an injustice.”

She said that people who want to make a living out of comedy emigrate to the UK to do so, and if the bill was passed it would send out the message: “stay, your work matters and your art belongs here”.

Sinead Crilly, whose stage name is Shinanne Higgins, became emotional as she said she did not want to move to the UK, but said it was difficult to make a living as a comedian in Ireland.

“It feels like for working class people, there’s money for all the nice violin players and everything, but there isn’t money for people doing the arts, (that are) more for the working class and I think that’s unfair.”

Ciaran McMahon said he had been in comedy for 20-25 years and had run comedy clubs and comedy workshops.

“The hardest thing in the world to do is comedy in Ireland, firstly because everyone is funny and the first thing they see when they see someone standing up on stage is ‘how dare you think you’re funnier than the rest of us’.

“The next part is to get people out the door and into a comedy club.

“The life of a comedian is spent in attics and basements, usually, wherever you hide a body is where comedy could be, anywhere else, we can’t afford.

“It gets very competitive because some clubs can work with the pub to get a bit of funding from behind the bar to give them the ability to open the doors on nights where it’s lashing rain or, the enemy of comedy, sport is happening.”

He said that he has tried to pitch doing a Halloween improv show for children, but was “immediately dismissed” because it involves comedy.

“So then you start lying, and you say, ‘Oh no, it’s not comedy, it’s not funny at all, I’ve never been funny’.

“And you try and get it in under another title, and immediately, as soon as even suggest there’s any humour involved ‘Sorry, thanks for playing’.”

Mr O Snodaigh said Arts Minister Patrick O’Donovan had delayed the bill from going to committee stage for 18 months, and if there is no change in 18 months it automatically goes to committee stage.

“There’s no reason for a delay, because it doesn’t happen overnight anyway in committee. So it’s just delaying tactics,” he said.

His party colleague for Wexford Johnny Mythen said 18 months was “too long”.

“It’s one word in a bill, so I don’t accept, be honest about it, 18 months. It’s not good enough.”

Independent Senator Victor Boyhan said that, while the delay for 18 months seemed to be “the standard exercise for most legislation”, it was “exceptionally disappointing”.

Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan, who voiced his support for the comedians’ campaign, asked “who has the divine right to say what an artist is”, to which Mr O Snodaigh replied “the Minister for Arts”, prompting laughter in the room.

At the beginning of the event, Mr O Snodaigh referenced a story in 2012 about his use of thousands of euro worth of printer cartridges over a two-year period.

“I’ve had problems with printing, people will remember that, so I didn’t print copies for everybody in the audience, just so you know,” he said of his draft law.

“If you really want them, I’ll print them out on green paper so it looks really official, and I’ll send you on a copy. No bother at all, at all. I’m back, and I’m allowed to print again.”