PANEL: Music from Stage to Film
Date: Friday September 18^th at 12pm
Duration: 90 mins
Venue: Online
Cost: €0 
Course Profile: Screen Skillnet in partnership with IMRO are pleased to offer Music from Stage to Film – music as a key creative element in the development of stage to film productions.

The panel discussion will look at the creative craft of composing, songwriting and developing musical themes with composers; David Arnold, Anna Rice and Bill Whelan. The panel will be moderated by Screen Composers Guild of Ireland CEO Sarah Glennane.

The session will include a Q&A. We would encourage participants to come armed with their questions.

This panel is being offered free of charge to support the Irish creative screen and music industries impacted by the ongoing situation with COVID-19.

Panellists:

Sarah Glennane is a music professional with many years experience working in performance and recording music sector and in music for screen. In 2017 Sarah authored An Examination of the Music for film & TV Sector in Ireland report for IMRO/ MCPS Ireland and from this was instrumental in the setting up of the SCGI. Sarah holds a BSc in Marketing with special interest in Marketing the Arts and a certificate in Music Supervision from Beklee College of Music, online. 

David Arnold is a multi award-winning British film and television composer. Best known for his work on blockbuster films such as Independence Day, Stargate and Narnia, he also took over the mantle from John Barry to compose the music for five James Bond films (including Casino Royale, for which he was nominated for a Grammy, a BAFTA and won ‘Best Song’at the World Soundtrack Awards). Other films scores include Godzilla, Shaft, Zoolander, Hot Fuzz, Made In Dagenham, The Inbetweeners, to name but a few. David is also renowned for his work on the hugely successful television series’ Little Britain and Little Britain USA and for co-composing the BAFTA-nominated music for the BBC’s Sherlock. In addition to his film and television work, David wrote the music for the West End production of “Made In Dagenham” which opened in late 2014. In 2012 David was appointed to the prestigious role of Musical Director for the London Olympics and Paralympics Closing Ceremonies and was also involved in one of the highlights of the Jubilee Thames Flotilla; composing a new arrangement of the ‘James Bond theme’ as Queen Elizabeth II passed by the MI6 headquarters. As well as being a world-renowned score composer, David is a highly esteemed artist, record producer, songwriter and conductor who has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Chrissie Hynde, Iggy Pop, George Michael, Massive Attack, the Kaiser Chiefs, Shirley Manson, Shirley Bassey and Sir Paul McCartney. David has guest-starred in several live concerts over the years, including a tribute to John Barry at The Royal Albert Hall in 2011. A dedicated ambassador for the aid charity CARE International, David has twice produced the spectacular fundraising ‘Concert for CARE’. The first of these took place in 2009 at the Brixton Academy and featured an array of high profile musicians and comedians including Simon Le Bon, Gary Barlow, David Walliams and Dara O’Brian. The second, in 2010 at the Royal Albert Hall, featured the RPO playing music from a range of popular films, accompanied by a host of stars including Paloma Faith, Imogen Heap and Ricky Wilson from The Kaiser Chiefs.​

Anna Rice is a Wicklow based composer and lyricist. Her recent work includes the critically acclaimed Channel 4 (UK) series CHIMERICA (Playground Entertainment, starring Alessandro Nivola, Sophie Okonedo and F. Murray Abraham) as score arranger, producer and conductor. Her live action and documentary scores include the title music to Ian Hislop’s BBC series WHEN BANKERS WERE GOOD and Ian Hislop’s AGE OF THE DO-GOODERS, the multi-award-winning 4 QUEENS (dir. Vittoria Colonna) and TONGAN ARK (dir. Paul Janman). In 2011 She scored the Abbey Theatre and National Theatre’s inaugural collaborative production of JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK (dir. Howard Davies) starring Ciarán Hinds, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Sinéad Cusack. Her score to Graham Cantwell’s ANTON was nominated for ‘Best Original Score’ in the 2009 IFTAs. As lyricist, Anna’s feature film theme song credits include ‘Eternal Breath’ from CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY (English lyrics) (The Weinstein Co. / Pegasus / Netflix), ‘Take Me To Shanghai’ from THE WASTED TIMES and ‘Brush The Sky’ from MISS PUFF, as well as the title songs for animated series Zombie Hotel (BBC/France 3) and MONDO YAN (Imira/Telegael/Toonz). Anna has scored over two hundred animated episodes for TV broadcast, most recently LUCKY FRED 2 (Imira Entertainment / Telegael / Toonz Entertainment / Televisió de Catalunya / Aeon Entertainment) and CAPTAIN FLINN AND THE PIRATE DINOSAURS (SLR Australia / Telegael / Top Draw /ZDF Enterprises). She works closely with Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi as orchestrator and producer, collaborating on feature film scores for THE WASTED TIMES dir. Cheng Er, GOD OF WAR dir. Gordon Chan, the E3 trailer score for GHOST OF TSUSHIMA (Sony Playstation) and also Umebayashi’s violin concerto ‘The Japanese Four Seasons’, commissioned by violinist Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica. Other collaborators for whom Anna has orchestrated include The Chieftains, Cara Dillon and Moxie. Musicians who have recorded and performed Anna’s film scores, arrangements and songs include Lang Lang, Joseph, Jam Hsiao, Coco Lee, the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica, the Hallé, the Ulster Orchestra, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Irish Film Orchestra, and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. She has served as a panel judge for the BAFTA TV Awards, Ivor Novello Awards and the Irish Film & Television Awards and on the board of directors of the Screen Composers Guild of Ireland.

Bill Whelan has composed music for theatre, film and orchestra. His 1997 Grammy Award winning music Riverdance continues to be performed around the world and the show is about to embark on a 25th anniversary tour of the United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.  To date, 22 million people have seen Riverdance The Show live. His orchestral work, The Seville Suite was specially commissioned for Expo ’92 and continues to be widely performed. The Spirit Of Mayo, written for orchestra and choir was first performed in 1993 at Dublin’s National Concert Hall. His musical settings of the literary works of Irish writers have been performed widely at home and abroad and include the poetry of WB Yeats, Paul Muldoon, Derek Mahon, Tom McIntyre, Frank McGuinness and Paul Durcan. As a producer in the studio he has worked with U2, Van Morrison, Kate Bush, Richard Harris, The Dubliners, Planxty, Andy Irvine, Davy Spillane and Bulgarian/Irish band, East Wind.  His film work includes music scores for “Dancing At Lughansa” starring Meryl Streep, “Some Mother’s Son” featuring Helen Mirren and “Lamb” with Liam Neeson. The Connemara Suite, a trilogy of pieces composed for chamber orchestra premiered in Carnegie Hall by the Irish Chamber Orchestra in March 2005.  He was commissioned by RTE Lyric FM to write a concerto for flute for Sir James Galway in 2014. Titled Linen & Lace it was performed by the Irish National Symphony Orchestra and subsequently by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The Train musical was inspired by the contraceptive train and the Irish Woman’s Liberation Movement of the 1970’s.  With music by Bill Whelan and lyrics by Arthur Riordan, it was performed as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival in 2015 and returned to the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and The MAC in Belfast in 2017.

Dina Coughlan is a music supervisor based in Ireland who has worked on diverse range projects across film and television.  Dina was the music director for Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen television network in NYC where she oversaw music placement for all productions and produced live concerts for the network.  After leaving Oxygen, she set up Planet of Sound and worked on projects for Discovery Networks, FUSE, Chevy and The Blue Man Group.  In 2014, she relocated to Ireland and has since worked on a dynamic range of projects including most recently, the films ‘Dating Amber’, ‘Broken Law’, ‘Vivarium’ and ‘The Young Offenders’ (film and TV series) as well as the upcoming TV series ‘Professionals’ and upcoming films ‘French Exit’, ‘Boys from County Hell’ and ‘Deadly Cuts’.

Participant Profile:
This panel is open to established composers, music supervisors, producers and directors who wish to expand their knowledge of the process of composing for the screen.  Participants must have industry track record with at least two professional credits (which can be in television, film or theatre).

Application Procedure:
Please apply by noon on Wednesday Sep 16th, by emailing apply@nullscreenskillnet.ie attaching a current CV or Bio. Please reference Music from Stage to Film in the subject line.

Catherine Martin T.D., Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht has announced the establishment of a new Taskforce for the recovery of the Arts and Culture sector under the Chair of Clare Duignan.

The Programme for Government: Our Shared Future, includes a commitment to “establish a cross-departmental taskforce to develop a clear approach, informed by the views of all stakeholders, to protect and sustain the arts and culture sector through the COVID-19 recovery and beyond. This will be fed into the National Economic Plan.”  While the restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus have had an unprecedented effect on society and on the economy, the impact on the arts and culture sector has been more detrimental and will undoubtedly last longer than that of any other sector.

Terms of Reference

The Taskforce will prepare a report for the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht including a set of recommendations on how best the arts and culture sector can adapt and recover from the unprecedented damage arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.  The sector includes culture, the arts, the audiovisual industry and the live entertainment industry.  Taking as its starting point, the research and evidence of the devastating impact of the pandemic on the sector compiled by the Department, the Arts Council and other stakeholders, the Taskforce will:-

• adopt a solution-focused approach;
• seek sector-specific expert input and consult with stakeholders inviting proposals for its consideration;
• invite additional individuals or expertise to attend meetings on an ad hoc basis, as it deems necessary;
• focus on providing intelligence and recommendations for an expected on-going and varying impact of COVID-19 restrictions;
• identify immediate and medium term goals for recovery and sustainability in the sector;
• identify possible policy initiatives or impediments to a robust sustainable recovery in the sector;
• recommend whole of Government policy initiatives and actions to support the sector;
• report to the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht by the 31 October 2020 in order to provide the Government with an action-plan for the sector.

Composition of Taskforce

The commitment in the Programme for Government speaks to a cross-departmental taskforce and members will be drawn from across Government departments and state bodies, including the Minister’s Department, the Department of Health and Department of Social Protection.  Departmental representation is supplemented by the Arts Council and representatives of culture and the arts including theatre and live music, including the commercial sector.  Full membership will be announced shortly.

Speaking today, Minister Martin said: “The performing arts and live entertainment sector shut down early and it will be among the last sector to re-open fully.  The negative impact on the arts, culture and live entertainment has been well established and quantified over the past five months in research undertaken by the Arts Council and by my Department.  Given that the financial and overall detrimental impact of the crisis on the sector is well established, the Taskforce will propose a suite of solutions and actions to ensure the long term sustainability and health of the sector.  I am delighted that Clare Duignan has agreed to Chair the Taskforce, bringing as she does breadth and depth of knowledge and experience to the role.”

Speaking of her appointment, Ms Duignan said: “It is crucial that these important sectors are not left behind as we rebuild Ireland through the Covid-19 recovery and beyond.  I hope to lead and work with the Taskforce to deliver effective recommendations that will sustain and protect the arts, to help find a way back for artists, performers and live events workers to the audiences and communities they need, and to restore to Irish citizens the creativity and sustenance that the arts and entertainment sectors give us.”

Clare Duignan held key leadership roles at RTÉ for over 20 years, including Head of Independent Productions, Director of Programmes TV, and Managing Director Radio and Performing Groups.  She is currently a board member with IMRO, The Irish Times DAC, The Chester Beatty, Fáilte Ireland, Business to Arts, and Ireland Reaching Out.  She has previously served on the board of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, The Dublin International Film Festival, The Arts Council, and the Abbey Theatre Council, and was Chair of the Advisory Board of ShinAwil Film and Television.  She is a Board Performance Assessor with the Institute of Directors, and a Lead Entrepreneur with Acorns, supporting early stage female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland.

The Minister for Culture, Arts, Media, Tourism, Sport and the Gaeltacht, Catherine Martin T.D., has launched a number of new music and performance support schemes to aid employment in the creative industries given the unprecedented nature of the challenge facing the music and live performance sectors owing to Covid-19 restrictions.

An allocation of €5 million is being made available under the “Live Performance Support Scheme” which aims to assist commercial venues, producers and promoters of live performances and provide employment to workers in the creative industries.  The scheme will help to de-risk the costs of preparing for new productions which may subsequently have to be postponed, cancelled or curtailed due to restrictions to safeguard public health. The main objective of the scheme is to provide employment opportunities in the ticketed performance sector and allow commercial organisers of live performances to commence preparations immediately and productions to go ahead in the near future while also complying with public health protection measures. This scheme has been developed following consultation with the sector and will be managed directly by the Department.

A further support package, the “Music Stimulus Package”, involves three funding schemes designed to help sustain the popular and commercial music sector across all music genres, including rock, pop, hip hop, indie, jazz, country and western and traditional and folk.  Under this package, a fund of €1,000,000 is being put in place to stimulate areas of work which artists would usually fund with income from own sources including live event fees.

The music support schemes are targeted at professional musicians and their teams and will support song writing camps, recording and album releases.  The aim is to ensure that Irish musicians, engineers, PR, media, agents, labels and publishers can continue to develop and share their work in the context of COVID restrictions. The Music Stimulus Package schemes will be managed on behalf of the Department by First Music Contact and will be subject to peer panel assessment.

Announcing the new measure of support Minister Catherine Martin said:

“I am conscious of the unprecedented nature of the challenge facing live performance promoters and producers, not least from a financial point of view and accordingly am pleased to announce this funding response that will assist established commercial venues and promoters to employ performers, artists, technicians, creative and performance support staff up to the end of 2020 in anticipation of the return of audiences to live performance.  Further, to help ensure the survival and revival of the music industry in Ireland, I am announcing the introduction of a number of schemes which have been designed to provide incentives for creating new work, the recording of new music from all music genres and the promotion and release of work, which might not otherwise happen in 2020.  These schemes will also support the music professionals who work with artists and facilitate music performance, recording and album release.”

Key features of the these Support Schemes include-

• Support the creation of employment opportunities in the culture, creative and music industries.
• Address the large gap left by the absence of income from live performances
• Support performances/work that will commence on or before 31 December 2020.
• Support commercial venues, producers and promoters in the culture sector (e.g. music, entertainment and theatre).
• Support the music professionals and aim to ensure that Irish musicians, engineers, PR, media, agents, labels and publishers can continue to develop and share their work in the context of COVID restrictions.

Applications can be made immediately.

Application Form and Guidelines for “Live Performance Support Scheme” may be accessed here.

Application Form and Guidelines for “Music Stimulus Package” may be accessed here.

In a year when radio has shown its continuing importance to Irish life, today the IMRO Radio Awards 2020 shortlist has been revealed. 673 entries were received for this year’s Awards, an increase on 2019.  Due to government guidelines, there will be a Virtual Live Stream event on Friday 2^nd October 2020 in place of the usual gala dinner.

Last week the 105 judges led by Chair of the Judges, Peter McPartlin, spent over 42 hours on Zoom narrowing down the entries to form the shortlist. Peter and the judges commented the outstanding creativity and broadcasting quality this year particularly through the difficulties of lockdown when so many radio programmes were being broadcast from the homes across the country to the homes of listeners. The quality of the entries from all over the island of Ireland can be seen in this year’s outstanding shortlist. 

Commenting, Chair of the IMRO Radio Awards committee, Chris Doyle said “Radio has had some of its finest moments over the last twelve months.  We are delighted to celebrate the work of all those involved in the industry this year as much as any other year.  We’ve shared the good news and the bad news stories, but we’ve always been there for the listeners.”

Chairperson of Awards title sponsors IMRO Eleanor McEvoy said ““In the bizarre times of the COVID-19 pandemic, radio has kept us entertained, kept us informed and kept us sane. We now have an obligation to keep everyone safe, so we are very much looking forward to taking the radio awards online on October 2^nd to celebrate the excellence and creativity of broadcasters from right throughout Ireland. We would like to congratulate those of you who have been shortlisted and we wish you the very best of luck for the awards ceremony.” 

Michael O’Keefe Chief Executive of sponsor Broadcasting Authority of Ireland said “The BAI is once again delighted to support the annual IMRO Radio Awards. 2020 has seen the most challenging times for the radio sector for many years. It is to the tremendous credit of the sector that it has continued to deliver top quality programming to its listeners throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This would not be possible without the station personnel who deliver such a wide and diverse range of high quality programming every day. The BAI congratulates all the nominees for their continued excellence in serving the listening public in Ireland with great radio and we wish them all the best of luck on the Awards night in October”

IMRO Radio Awards 2020 Shortlist

The arts and culture sector is experiencing enormous challenges and a very real threat to its existence right now.  A comprehensive and robust government roadmap for the sector is critical at this time if we are to successfully navigate through this crisis.

Contradictory statements released yesterday by the Department of Health and the Department Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has resulted in a lot of confusion and frustration within the arts community in relation to what is now permissible in terms of live music events and cultural activities.

Closer engagement with the sector by various Government Departments is vital at this time to ensure Arts and Culture forms a key component of the national  Roadmap for Resilience and Recovery Plan, due for publication on 13^th September.  This would provide greater certainty to the many thousands of people working within the sector and at the very least allow them to plan forward.