The Basic Income for the Arts Pilot scheme will run over a three year period and the intention is to research the impact a basic income would have on artists and creatives work patterns by providing the opportunity to participants to focus on their practice, and to minimise the loss of skills from the arts as a result of the pandemic.
Stakeholder engagement has been core to the policy development process and this included a stakeholder forum on 15 December 2021, where over 150 participants from 50 artists and arts workers resource and representative bodies came together to discuss the proposal. This included representatives from disabled artists organisations and disabled artists.
Following that forum, I held a public consultation throughout the month of January. This public consultation closed three weeks ago and my Department received a significant number of submissions, reflecting the high level of interest in this new policy intervention. My officials are currently reviewing the submissions and a report on the consultation is currently being prepared which will be published in the coming weeks.
The scheme will be open to all practicing artists and creative arts workers who can demonstrate their creative practice and will not be restricted to those who can already sustain themselves through their career in the arts.
I believe that the Basic Income for the Arts has the potential to help artists and creative arts workers overcome labour market barriers by developing a self-sustaining creative practice, operating on a self-employed basis.
