A main justification for public funding of the arts is to protect the arts from the marketplace and to encourage experimentation and innovation. But little is known about the actual innovation process. Is funding the only issue? Protecting the arts from the marketplace has up to now been the main item in any discussion of artistic creativity. This publication provides a privileged insight which both fills out and refocuses the picture. She examines the operation of three performing arts companies from Ireland, a country whose reputation for creativity far outweighs its small size and population, and finds that innovation in the arts requires uncommon dedication, persistence and sacrifice. Fitzgibbon's book is essential reading for arts policy makers, managers, administrators, donors and potential donors, and for serious students of arts and culture management in the academic community.