Arts Minister Catherine Martin TD, is seeking the views of artists and others on the establishment of a basic income for people working in the arts and culture sector.

“I encourage everyone interested to get involved in the online consultation for the Basic Income for the Arts pilot. Your views will help shape the final design of the pilot when it rolls out in the coming months” Minister Martin said.

“This is a once-in-a-generation policy intervention, a measure that I believe will redraw the landscape for the arts for hopefully many years to come.

“Our culture and the arts are a fundamental expression of who we are as a nation. Our rich cultural heritage is one of our greatest assets, and our artists weave a sense of identity, creativity and belonging into the fabric of our communities.

“The intrinsic societal value of culture and the arts was particularly evident during the pandemic, where it provided colour, light and hope in uncertain times.”

She established the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce in 2020 as a response to the pandemic, and to provide a platform for the recovery of the arts and culture sector. The primary recommendation of the taskforce was the introduction of a basic income for the arts pilot scheme.The Minister has allocated €25m in 2022 for the pilot basic income scheme for the arts.

"This is a key priority for me and my Department" Ms Martin said. "I am determined to ensure that permanent damage is not done to the arts sector from the pandemic and that the basic income pilot scheme helps to ensure that the arts in Ireland come back stronger than ever.”

The purpose of the online consultation is to ensure that the general public, artists and those working in the arts and culture sector have the opportunity to contribute to the policy development for the pilot scheme and to offer suggestions from their experiences as artists, arts workers and members of resource organisations on key issues such as the schemes objectives, eligibility criteria, supporting emerging artists and participant responsibilities.

The Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme will be launched in the coming months. Further details will be published on the Department’s website after the feedback and input from the online consultation is assessed and finalised.

The online survey will be available HERE until January 27 January 2022.