Advocacy: taking on the key issues that concern professional artists generally in relation to their status, rights and income.

Visual Artists Ireland operates a programme of advocacy, lobbying and representation.  The organisation takes on the key issues that concern professional artists generally in relation to their status, rights and income. It monitors policies and undertakes research into issues that affect artist. It also represents the interests of individual artists on a case-by-case basis in relation to specific, one-off issues.

It operates a programme of regional and international representation through appointed artist representatives and has a policy of building strategic partnerships with other organisations so as to better represent the interests of individual visual artists.

VAI works closely with:

• The Arts Council of Ireland;
• The Arts Council Northern Ireland;

and is an active member of:

• The European Forum for Arts and Heritage (EFAH);
• The European Cultural Foundation (ECF);
• The International Association of Art (IAA);
• The International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA);
• The European Council of Artists (ECA).