mission statement

The AIC is the representative body of composers in Ireland (including Northern Ireland). AIC represents the interests of composers in all areas of copyright, and seeks to enhance the professional status of its members through promotional activities.

It is the Irish section of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). AIC’s activities therefore work on three levels: local, national and international. We seek to broaden the awareness of new music by Irish composers. This is achieved through partnership with local authority arts officers, local venues and organisers, national media, the Contemporary Music Centre (CMC), and the other national sections of the ISCM.

Our copyright role is enacted in partnership with IMRO, MCPS Ireland and CMC.

Core Policies

Our role as a representative body involves providing information on copyright and related rights; support and lobbying in all areas that affect composers' material good (such as fees, royalties, legal matters etc); and lobbying for better awareness of new Irish music where it concerns the policy formation of third parties.

We undertake to support members where disputes arise in matters relating to payments for their services as composers. We receive support in these matters from IMRO, CMC, The Arts Council, The Department of Arts and others.

Artistic Policy - Promotion

The Association of Irish Composers aims to realise the objectives set out in the Government's Arts Plan. The principal points of this being:

1. To promote excellence and innovation in the arts To improve the professional formation, practice and career development of artists
2. To develop international audiences for Irish arts and bring international arts to Irish audiences.
3. To increase young people's engagement with the arts

As our objectives cannot be achieved by a single body, the AIC exploits its range of existing partnerships. As well as those already mentioned AIC has worked with Galleries, Universities and Embassies, sourcing funds from universities and Arts Councils from other countries, with our main sponsors being The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon and IMRO.

We have an international network of contacts which we use to spread knowledge of Irish composers through an exchange programme.
Our promotion of Irish music consists mainly of live concerts, but more recently we have also been active in recording and broadcasting.
We set out to encourage professional performers who are not specialists in new music to become more active in the field.

To further the careers of Irish composers, we support composition competitions and retrospective concerts, facilitate composer discussions/symposia, and regularly arrange opportunities for the public to hear composer talks.