Kilkenny artists encourage to apply for basic income scheme

Kilkenny artists are being encouraged to apply for a basic income scheme which will run over three years.

The Irish government has launched the new and pioneering pilot scheme to support artists and creative arts workers.  The Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme will examine, over a three year period, the impact of a basic income on artists and creative arts workers.  Payments of €325 per week will be made to 2,000 eligible artists and creative arts workers who will be selected at random and invited to take part. The scheme will open for applications on April 12.

The scheme was launched by the Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar TD and the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin’s Temple Bar today.  It is recognition, at government level, of the important role of the arts in Irish society.  It also places a value on the time spent developing a creative practice and producing art. The main objective of the scheme is to address the financial instability faced by many working in the arts.

A basic income for the arts was the number one recommendation of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce Life Worth Living Report which was set up by Minister Catherine Martin in 2020 to examine how the sector could adapt and recover from the unprecedented damage arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clare Duignan, Chairperson of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce said:

“As Chair of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce I am very pleased to see the launch of the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme today.  This was the Taskforce’s number one recommendation, something on which the members unanimously agreed; we believe that the scheme has the potential to be genuinely transformative in terms of the sustainability of the sector.” 

The scheme will open for applications on April 12 and close on May 12.

 Information on the eligibility criteria and how to apply for the pilot scheme can be found here.