THE potential for Enniskillen’s Clinton Centre to become an International Literature Centre and thus enhance Fermanagh’s profile as “the literature destination county” is being explored as part of proposals to develop the Happy Days International Beckett Festival brand.

A new report, co-commissioned by Fermanagh District Council, the Arts Council NI and Tourism NI has concluded that a three-festival model would “enhance” the sustainabilty of Happy Days and also allow for a contracted year-round team here.

The first Wilde Weekend festival, dedicated to old Portoran, Oscar Wilde and organised by Beckett Festival Ltd, is set to take place this May. But the report also recognises the potential for a third festival, ‘Lughnasa’, in honour of Omagh-born dramatist, author and director, Brian Friel.

“With financial stability, the idea of running two new festivals makes strategicsense,” the report concludes, “The Wilde Weekend offers the potential to strengthen the tourism positioning of Enniskillen emanating from Happy Days success over the last three years and as more populist to drive more income, more quickly.

“The proposed Lughnasa, International Friel Festival with a proposed cross-border opportunity and a Belfast base, benefits from the size of the resident population and Brian Friel’s undoubted popularity locally.

“Both new festival propositions will attract international audiences,” it adds.

The report, which has been considered by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s (FODC) Policy and Resources committee, recognises that the Founding Director of Happy Days, Sean Doran, had already made attempts to establish a permanent literature centre in Enniskillen as a home for Happy Days in its first year which could act as a platform for the development of additional events.

He was unable to take this forward because no location could be identified and there was no opportunity to access funding.

Since Happy Days’ first year however, contact with the Chairman of the Clinton Centre in Enniskillen has progressed the idea of it becoming a base.

The report states: “Taken together, these two festivals - Happy Days and Wilde - could herald the development and perception of Fermanagh as ‘the literature destination county’.

“This could act as a new departure point for tourism in Enniskillen and Fermanagh and galvanise the input and support of the local authority, traders, the creative and cultural community and the community in general.” The report adds that this “has the potential to become a ‘signature project’ for Fermanagh tourism”.

“The Clinton Centre at this point appears to be a location without a purpose,” it continues, “That could be remedied if the Centre was to become a year-round ‘residence’ for the festivals and their education and outreach programmes.

“Establishing a permanent office and integrating programme and administrative activity in the Clinton Centre, if the terms of the lease and other undertakings were favourable, could provide a stable environment and increase the profile of the two festivals in Enniskillen and beyond.” As a result the report suggests the centre could become ‘The Clinton International Literature Centre’: “the core of an important cross-border partnership based on the literary heritage of the island of Ireland”.

But the report also recognises the current limitations of such an ambitious proposal: neither the Clinton Centre nor Beckett Festival Ltd has the money to invest.

In attempt to progress this further however, Clinton Centre management has identified one potential major sponsor that they say is looking for the “right project to fund”.

Management believe this company would be interested in the Literature Centre initiative.

The lengthy report gives a detailed analysis of the strengths and weakness, opportunities and threats posed for Happy Days itself.

According to the report its financial issues are a major weakness which “threaten to damage the Director’s credibility with both artists and suppliers and jeopardise future festivals’ ability to attract and put on the best acts”.

Recognised threats include: “the director will be head hunted to a bigger festival better able to provide him with an adequate living that doesn’t require that he has to spend half the year fighting with the admin burden the festival throws up”.

The Happy Days Festival, which was established in 2012, has not been able to attract enough income from all of its sources to break even as yet and as a result has accummulated losses.

But the report recognises that it has proven its ability to deliver a “quality programme” and has “successfully become embedded as a significant part of Northern Ireland’s cultural tourism offering”.

In its own report presented to the latest Policy and Resources meeting, FODC believes the impact of Happy Days has been “significant”, both in economic returns and profile for Fermanagh, through international press.

FODC believes there is “obvious potential for the Wilde Weekend festival to deliver a similar type and scale of benefit. As a result, the Policy and Resources committee is recommending that FODC agrees to enter into a Service Level Agreement with Becketts Festival Ltd for the delivery of the Wilde and Happy Days festivals this year through: -Sponsorship to a maximum of £25,000 for each festival; -fees waivers and in-kind support to a maximum of £45,000 for both festivals.

It is further recommended that the Beckett brand be contracted to ensure if funding is secured, that an element of the Lughnasa festival take place in Omagh, his place of birth.