By Saoirse Anton

On my desk, I have a post-it note with one of my favourite quotes of all time written on it – “Every art contributes to the greatest art of all, the art of living.” Wise words from Bertolt Brecht.

Someone asked me the other day how each of us, as individuals, can support the arts, particularly in a time where budgets are stretched and many organisations and artists are struggling. I replied that the number one way was to get out and support venues and artists – buy their books or paintings, book tickets to a show, recommend someone’s work to a friend, sign up to a workshop. I also pointed out that at the heart of supporting a sustainable arts sector was building community.

This is something I have been thinking about in the few days since.

Tonight is Culture Night, one night of the year where almost every arts and culture organization in Ireland throws open its doors and alongside community groups, libraries, businesses and individual artists, host a night of free events in an island-wide celebration of culture. Running since 2006, Culture Night has been an important day in the calendar, a chance to promote and celebrate the creativity and community that is so central to Irish life. I am excited to spend this evening driving around the county I have recently moved to, taking in some of the Culture Night programme, getting to know new people, and enjoying the evening’s creative fare.

But we can’t let Culture Night be the only moment in which we shout about the importance of culture and the arts in our lives. They are far too vital for that. Studies have shown that participation in arts activities improves recovery rates and times for medical patients. A recent study published in Frontiers of Public Health notes that people who engaged with arts and crafts reported higher levels of happiness and general wellbeing, as well as noting that involvement in arts and crafts gave a significantly higher sense of worthwhileness in life than employment. And a Frontiers in Medicine editorial article recently reported on a study which showed that engagement with the arts reduced cognitive decline and improved mental health in a healthy population and concluded that engagement with the arts “fosters creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and cultural appreciation, making it an essential aspect of individual and societal wellbeing.”

And do we even need to turn to medical studies to recognize the value of art and culture in our lives? Who hasn’t come out of a comedy gig buoyed by the experience of laughing in a crowd, or found themselves rejuvenated by singing along in a crowd at a concert, or found relaxation in painting a picture?

So what can we do to make sure that value is recognized and safeguarded?

Like I said at the start of this column, the first step is to get out and support your local venues and artists. Then consider advocating for the arts on a broader scale. Sign the petition to extend the Basic Income for the Arts scheme. Sign up to the National Campaign for the Arts mailing list and learn how you can add your voice to the case for the arts in the upcoming general election. Make the arts and culture a central part of your life, and make it a talking point.

And enjoy it. Find an arts practice that brings you joy and revel in it. As Kurt Vonnegut wrote in A Man Without a Country, ‘practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”

Get out and about tonight and enjoy the best of what Culture Night has to offer, then carry that energy through the next 364 days, and repeat.