Likening basic income for the arts to a unicorn - often spoken about but never seen - Celina Lei reflects on Ireland's successful pilot scheme.
It was 2019, Angela Dorgan has just stepped into the role of Chair of the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA) in Ireland when it became immediately clear that a sector-wide survey was needed. When COVID-19 hit the following year, Dorgan went to the sector to find out what sort of support arts workers and organisations required, from their perspective. The NCFA then set out to make an argument to government to increase funding in the sector – seeking something radical that could fundamentally change how artists earn their living. And it succeeded.
Ireland’s new Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) is a pilot scheme running over three years from 2022-2025 and offering a payment of EUR325 (283.94 pounds sterling) a week to artists and creative workers. Around 2000 eligible applicants were randomly selected to take part in the scheme.
Dorgan was recently in Australia, speaking at Bodies of Work – A Symposium hosted by Vitalstatistix and Reset Arts and Culture, alongside Director of Culture Ireland, Sharon Barry. Dorgan and Barry are integral members of the team driving and analysing the outcomes of Ireland’s BIA...Keep reading on Artshub.
It was 2019, Angela Dorgan has just stepped into the role of Chair of the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA) in Ireland when it became immediately clear that a sector-wide survey was needed. When COVID-19 hit the following year, Dorgan went to the sector to find out what sort of support arts workers and organisations required, from their perspective. The NCFA then set out to make an argument to government to increase funding in the sector – seeking something radical that could fundamentally change how artists earn their living. And it succeeded.
Ireland’s new Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) is a pilot scheme running over three years from 2022-2025 and offering a payment of EUR325 (283.94 pounds sterling) a week to artists and creative workers. Around 2000 eligible applicants were randomly selected to take part in the scheme.
Dorgan was recently in Australia, speaking at Bodies of Work – A Symposium hosted by Vitalstatistix and Reset Arts and Culture, alongside Director of Culture Ireland, Sharon Barry. Dorgan and Barry are integral members of the team driving and analysing the outcomes of Ireland’s BIA...Keep reading on Artshub.