Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín with Tim McGarry, MC, and actor and film maker Paul Kennedy at the opening of the All Ireland Creative Industries Conference in the Millennium Forum. Photo: Lorcan Doherty Photography
Last year’s City of Culture changed the perception of Derry throughout the world, Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has said.
Ms Ní Chuilín was speaking at the opening of the All Ireland Creative Industries conference which is being held in the Millennium Forum in Derry today.
The event combines speakers and workshops from the creative industries and brings together both local young people and practitioners from across the spectrum of the such businesses.
Ms Ní Chuilín said she “specifically” chose Derry as a location for the conference because she wanted to highlight the success of City of Culture and how it transformed the North West into a “national and international driver for the creative industries and wider innovation.”
She added: “2013 was a very important year for this part of Ireland.
“City of Culture changed the perception of this city at home and abroad.
“It put Derry on the map as a great place not just to visit and live, but also to set up a business, work and invest.
“Today is very much part of that legacy and helping attract key industry figures and opinion formers here.”
Ms Ní Chuilín said the creative sector, within the North, was an area of potential growth and was a vital source of ” our competitive strength, wealth and job creation.”
She added: “The All Ireland Creative Industries Conference is about exploring opportunities for our local companies to grow their businesses and for our young people to build careers in the creative industries.
“Events such as this bring people together to share best practice and help to establish partnerships across industry, government, education and the community and voluntary sector.
“We have brought together key people involved in different aspects of the creative industries. They have a lot to offer in shaping the debate and highlighting ways we can all work together to create growth and opportunities in the sector.”
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