A Summit on the State of Irish Creativity

Call me biassed, but when it comes to creativity, artistry, or just telling a damn-good story, few can rival the Irish. While the world grapples with ever-shifting paradigms, the significance of creativity in Ireland’s narrative remains steadfast. 

As we near the time of year where an estimated 13 million pints of Guinness are slurped in a single day and the Chicago River is dyed green (in honour of St. Patrick’s Day, if you haven’t guessed already), production company, Banjoman, has convened a gathering of some of the industry’s  experts, to discuss the state of Irish creativity. 

Here’s what they had to say: 

LBB> Why is art such a vital and immovable part of Irish culture?

Dermot Malone, director and founder of Banjoman> I've been listening to a lot of Cillian Murphy's interviews this week with the Oscars. He's been asked 'why the Irish are doing so well in the film industry at the moment?' And my answer will be quite similar to his, in that it's very much part of our DNA. Over hundreds of years we have become very comfortable with storytelling and that goes in every form; be it sing songs, or be at the written word, or be it in performance. Our art in all its forms is an immovable part of our culture, because it’s who we are. And it’s not going anywhere. 

Ronan Nulty, executive creative director of Publicis Dublin> I suppose it’s vital in all cultures. You could say that we used to be a poor nation and therefore always sought success in art. Then we got kind of rich (economically) and seemed to lose some sense of ourselves. And so needed art. There’ll always be problems, and art can give you answers.  

Damian Hanley, executive creative director at F&B Huskies> We had few natural resources, our weather is pretty bad and we were an economic basket-case up until 1990. What else were we going to do? Our only outlet was to express our dreams, frustrations and desires in the form of music, art, and writing. All the best albums were written in times of adversity. Adversity breeds creativity. There is a genetic and cultural memory in this country to have an appreciation of the arts to find meaning. We are not a materialistic society. We value community and equality in expression across that community. In spite of much media coverage, I like to think we foster equal voices and opportunity to express and the arts is a perfect lens through which to do that.

Sarah Chadwick, freelance producer and founder of Clickety Clack> The creative arts have been running through the Irish people’s veins for generations. Quite simply, we use the arts to express ourselves. Be it music, theatre, dance, art or poetry; they are all intertwined in both Ireland’s past and present and are constantly reinventing themselves.

Look at Riverdance, giving Irish dancing a modern twist in the 90s, or just recently, artists like Lankum bringing traditional Irish music into the new age. There are also events like Seanchoíche’s storytelling evenings or ‘This is Pop Baby’(’s) theatre shows. Amidst adversities, Irish muralists are known to use their art to show solidarity with national and international issues. Examples like Holly Pereira and Emmalene Blake’s recent mural in Dublin heroing Palestinian reporter Wael Al Dahdouh, Aches x Maser’s murals showing support for the Repeal the 8th Amendment and Joe Caslin’s ‘The Claddagh Embrace’ for marriage equality. Irish people use the arts as their voice.

Alan Byrne, head of copy at TBWA\Dublin> Art in all its forms has given Irish people a voice, a platform, and a canvas for natural expression and pride throughout history. The Book of Kells provides as much a sense of who we are as James Joyce, Roddy Doyle, Harry Clarke or any Yeats you like. It’s provided countless channels for us to attempt to reflect or define who we are at any given moment. Irish culture has never remained static, and so that challenge to capture our essence continues unabated through artistic expression.

Adam Crane, creative lead at TBWA\Dublin> Art has always had the power to influence society’s opinion and therefore shape culture. It’s the same in Ireland as anywhere else in the world. I guess because we were an isolated rock in the Atlantic for so much of history, it really magnified the effect our art had. Isolation brought real originality to Irish creativity.

LBB> What lesson(s) have you taken into this year? 

Dermot Malone, director and founder of Banjoman>  The main one is to really double down on creative opportunities, and to prioritise them. When you're working as a filmmaker, or within a production company, real life truths can sometimes overshadow creative opportunities. 

Obviously, you’ve got to pay your bills. Meaning you have to chase work that yields and rewards in a way that can keep the doors open and lights on. But we need to go after the creative stuff too – the best ideas, the most interesting scripts and the boldest voices. We must stay committed to our goal of creative progression 

Ronan Nulty, executive creative director of Publicis Dublin> There’s no guarantees, so stay a) on your toes and b) true to yourself. Seismic global events, ongoing existential crises, the emergence of game-changing AI, the agency and advertising landscape rapidly evolving. You can never tell the way things are going to go. All you can do is stay on your toes, look for answers, do the work, be true to yourself, don’t overthink it. 

Damian Hanley, executive creative director at F&B Huskies> That human beings need caves and campfires. We’ve needed them for 50,000 years. Full time work and open plan was a lie. But the benefits of remote working were not fully true either. You need campfires to gather around and tell stories and swap ideas. And you need caves to do your cave painting and carving in peace. Finding the perfect balance is very important to maintain culture and creativity. We are still learning where that balance is.

I also learned the whole world had a tough year – creativity seems to get a kicking too often – talking about the work seems to get more respect than the work itself. It’s a big watch out. Theory for show, creativity for dough.

Sarah Chadwick, freelance producer and founder of Clickety Clack> What got you here won’t get you there and don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

I’ve learned a lot in just over two years since setting up Clickety Clack. The industry is changing and one must evolve to survive it. As a producer I’m the person people turn to when they need to get shit done. For 10 years, that was focusing purely on commercial advertising. Admittedly, I had tunnel vision. I became very successful in that space, albeit dependent on it. If it was quiet, I was quiet. For 2024, whilst keeping my finger well and truly on the commercial pulse, I’m also diversifying and dipping my toe into design projects, long form documentary, feature films, music videos, etc. Exploring beyond the commercial space lets me tackle something a bit challenging, ultimately making me a better producer for any team I work with, while keeping my sanity and a roof over my head!

Alan Byrne, head of copy at TBWA\Dublin> Don’t fear change. AI will always be defined by artificial, not the art part of the word.

Adam Crane, creative lead at TBWA\Dublin> I would say one thing I’ll be doing is changing my approach to brand work on social. Social trends have always interested me, they blow up, die fast,and are hard to own. They address relevance to an audience, but it’s rare or lucky that they reflect true brand values. The trick is to create the trend rather than follow it, easier said than done.

LBB> What do you forecast for Irish creativity?

Dermot Malone, director and founder of Banjoman> We’re in a challenging moment right now. It seems like the industry is a bit slow and there’s the daunting spectre of AI which has people worrying about the future. But in challenging times, and in adversity, that’s where we as people – and I think the Irish specifically – become more creative, bolder and unexpected. That’s a great thing that I can see coming, and I look forward to being part of it. 

Damian Hanley, executive creative director at F&B Huskies> There is a more outward looking focus across the globe. Less focussed on ourselves. We are judging ourselves on a global stage now. This is having an effect on local award shows as the industry looks for validation beyond our shores. We need to ensure they remain relevant and respected (and funded). We also need to ensure that creativity is owned and given recognition by ALL of those who contribute to it. Creativity is a team effort.

Ronan Nulty, executive creative director of Publicis Dublin> Hopefully an improvement in the work; we can always get better. We have world class talent, we need it to translate more frequently into world class brand creativity.  The kind that attracts global brands and more global talent to Dublin. The will is there.  

Sarah Chadwick, freelance producer and founder of Clickety Clack> Irish creativity is well and truly on the global stage at the moment. I’m not just talking about the Cillian Murphys, Barry Keoghanss, and Paul Mescals in front of the camera. I’m talking about the incredibly talented people behind the camera. Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney from Element Pictures and cinematographer Robbie Ryan are currently awaiting their Oscar’s fate for ‘Poor Things’ at the time of writing this. This week alone Variety magazine published ‘10 rising Irish stars behind the camera’ featuring amazing talent like writer/director Kate Dolan and costume designer Gwen Jeffares-Hourie. Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) just closed last week and it was nine full days with incredible film after incredible film - some which have already picked up cinema distribution in the UK and Ireland, like ‘King Frankie’.

I’m more positive now than I was a couple of years ago. A lot of people (including the Irish government) weren’t paying attention to or taking the creative sector seriously. At the start of 2024 they created a roadmap as to how and where the Irish government will start supporting the creative sector across commercial design, digital games and content creation. €410k has already been committed to the IDI (Institute of Designers in Ireland). In 2024 the Irish Advertising Market will grow to €1.32 billion. That’s something to take seriously. We aren’t just a bunch of ‘arty farty’ types, we know what we are doing!

Alan Byrne, head of copy at TBWA\Dublin> I’d imagine there will be a greater degree of social and political driven art as a commentary on the growing unease and friction across Ireland. Creativity enables the artist and the audience to find a way to express emotion when words don’t necessarily do justice to thoughts. So perhaps some will express anger through art, while others will seek to convey reconciliation, solidarity or togetherness in a way that acts as an antidote to the pain of growing social disharmony. 

Adam Crane, creative lead at TBWA\Dublin> I think we’re still a little hungover from covid, and the knock on effect the cost of living crisis has had on budgets and bravery. Creative teams are moving off teams and spending more time together in real life, so I’d expect to see good things begin to happen again. Great opportunity for creative teams to break out, go again and grab it by the clacks.

LBB> What are the trends you think the industry needs to take heed of and why?

Dermot Malone, director and founder of Banjoman>  Again, AI is the word on everyone's lips. There’s a lot of fear. We’re seeing articles coming out in ad forums asking,”‘is directing over?”, “is the traditional production company approach about to be eradicated?”, and “are we going to have an industry where people are just putting in key words to create work?”. While I think we need to take heed of that, I also take comfort in the knowledge that we are creatives because of the work we do and continue to do. There is nothing that is going to be able to replicate what’s in our heads. Ultimately, we are all about craft. Be it getting performance, the movement of the camera or the integration of the camera and actor in tandem - these things can’t be plugged into a machine. 

Ronan Nulty, executive creative director of Publicis Dublin> Over-science-ing of the art of persuasion. Everyone would love a predictive formula for successful marketing and advertising (and some people do very well selling formulas!) but as everyone knows deep down, real success comes from imaginative, irrational places. Also, obviously the unethical use of AI should be massively heeded.

Damian Hanley, executive creative director at F&B Huskies> We need to ensure we keep our edge and don’t get too comfortable with economic prosperity. Or scared by group think. There is a well-documented cancel culture trend which has a knock on effect of stifling free expression and creativity. The sign of intelligence being able to hold two opposing views in your head at the same time and not go mad. All the evidence points to minds closing. Art only works with open minds. This is a massive threat to

creativity which needs to be free to challenge without being condemned.

Sarah Chadwick, freelance producer and founder of Clickety Clack> The classic producer answer, but the decreasing budgets is what I’m most concerned about for the industry, it’s not AI! I know everybody is under pressure with spend, but if we don’t protect the budgets and get brands to keep spending the industry will collapse, there is no other way of putting it. Of course as a producer it is my job to make challenging budgets work, find work-arounds, and find creative ways of getting things done for limited budgets – that shouldn’t change. The challenge should be coming from the creative idea being too big rather than what can we get done for the cheapest price option. It’s a race to the bottom. Creative work is proven to be successful for brands so we need to keep its value.

Alan Byrne, head of copy at TBWA\Dublin> I don’t know, but I could see bootcut jeans and brown boots coming back.

Adam Crane, creative lead at TBWA\Dublin> Everyone’s talking about AI, AR, leaving social media, the six second version of your 60 second script, ideas that work across the ecosystem, the metaverse, (what happened to NFTs and creative uses of the blockchain?), and cause-related work. But no-one has mentioned that we’re now spending €60 on Stanley cups. Amirite?