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Irish Times
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
How €325 a month changed my life – I've never taken it for granted
In August 2022, after two years of pandemic shutdowns, the arts sector in Ireland was on its knees. It hadn't been doing too well before Covid-19 , but in the face of a global virus, it all but evaporated. Government restrictions forced cinemas, theatres, performance venues, galleries and any arts-related spaces to shut down. Tens of thousands of people lost their jobs , myself included. In an already struggling sector, it was the death knell for the careers of many artists and arts workers. After tireless work by the National Campaign for the Arts and Theatre Forum, former minister for arts Catherine Martin announced the introduction of a Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) scheme. This was to be a three-year research project, funded by the EU, funnelled through the Irish government. It would cost between €150,000-€200,000. Out of 8,000 eligible applicants, 2,000 were selected in an anonymised and randomised process. I was one of those 2,000 people. The BIA was an intervention to try to save a sinking ship. The severe impact of the pandemic on artists and arts workers was preceded by years of financial cuts and dwindling budgets. The sector had suffered massive cuts during the 2008 recession, and funding never made its way back up to pre-recession levels. In short, being an artist in Ireland has meant living precariously, frequently working for below minimum wage, and often working for free. Let's take a deep breath together and move in time to the fateful moment that was 2020. It's impossible for me to see this number without feeling a shudder down my spine. And yet, before it became that unforgettable year in history, for me it was one of great hope and excitement. 2020 was going to be my year. I had worked very hard for more than 20 years to build the momentum I was finally reaping. After decades of failures, successes, more failures, rejections, heartaches, near misses and almost- theres, I was staring down the barrel of a good year. No, a great year. Following a critically acclaimed, sold-out run in 2019, a play I'd written, This Beautiful Village, was going back into the Abbey Theatre for production on the main stage for one month. After that, there would be a national tour. I got a publishing deal, I signed with a new agent at a big agency in London, and This Beautiful Village won Best New Play at the Irish Theatre Awards . This glorious moment had been a long time coming for me. And then, in a heartbeat, it all disappeared … poof … into thin air. READ MORE At the time, people were at pains to assure me that my show would come back once restrictions were lifted, that all would be righted. None of these people worked in the arts or entertainment. They did not understand that in this business, when you lose your slot, it's gone. As the pandemic raged on, the Abbey changed leadership, and I was not part of their new agenda. This is how it goes in showbiz. I spent a long, long time grieving this loss. And while I was not alone – many of my peers had also lost their work – it was an intensely lonely and solitary grief. I was the only person in my family who lost everything overnight. It was also an ambiguous loss. I couldn't point to something tangible and feel its absence, because it didn't happened. It was a 'supposed to be', sliding doors moment in my life. How can you miss something you never actually had? I sank into a deep depression. I felt broken. And to top it all off, I was sick. The week of the very first shutdown, I had surgery and was diagnosed with endometriosis. In addition to grief and loss, I was in constant, severe pain. My livelihood was gone, along with my identity, my sense of self. And I got completely and utterly lost in it all. I spent two years battling with my grief, and fighting for healthcare to treat my illness. I wasn't doing well with either. I'd heard rumours that a Basic Income for the Arts scheme was coming down the line but I wasn't going to hold my breath. When an official announcement arrived, and applications opened, I put my name forward, knowing full well that my chances were slim. A lot of arts sector workers were in a bad way, and I was by no means the worst. I was able to rent a home near my daughter's school, and was able to put food on the table. Not everybody had it that good. When I received word I'd been selected, a light went on inside me. The money would be a huge boost, of course, but also, I felt seen. I felt valued. As a writer, as an artist, that's not something you feel very often. Artists expend so much energy fighting for their worth to be adequately compensated that it's very easy to lose your sense of self-worth and belief. These are not flowery words, or luxury feelings, they are fundamental to the health and wellbeing of every human being. When someone shows you that they believe in you, as the BIA did for me, it shifts you on your axis. In a society that devalues artists, yet consumes art every single day, a sliver of belief can make a seismic shift in the person who creates that art. It turns out that €325 a week can not only help with groceries and doctors' bills, it also makes you feel like you're worth something. That the creativity you contribute to the world is, in fact, meaningful. [ 'Life changing' income scheme for artists means more spend time on work and fewer suffer from depression Opens in new window ] That first BIA payment I received came at a very dark time in my life. It was a ray of light, a beacon of hope that maybe, maybe , I'd be able to keep writing. Qualified to do exactly zero else, the only path for me was forward. There was guilt, of course. Selection had been randomised but, as I've said, there had been 8,000 applications. Only 2,000 were selected. I carried a sense of shame, that there were others more deserving than me. And nobody, nobody , who was selected talked about it. It was an unspoken agreement. Don't ask, don't tell. That's how dire things have gotten for artists in Ireland. Every month, a payment would go straight into my bank account. In the three years I've been part of this scheme, I've never once taken that money for granted. In tough times, when doctors' bills skyrocketed, those payments took the edge off a sharp knife. They gave me breathing space to try to navigate writing while sick and in pain during a pandemic. Even as the dreaded restrictions began to lift, and we put distance between ourselves and the darkest days of the pandemic, that €325 continued to help with medical bills. It bought me time and space to process total career loss, chronic illness and allowed me to wedge the door open to keep writing, in whatever way I could. Every six months, there was a survey. It asked questions about my life demographics, things you would expect to answer: age, living situation, employment status, a lot of standard queries about where I was at. What I did not expect were the questions about my mental health and wellbeing. In a gentle, respectful way, it made me reflect on how I was really doing. There were the questions about care and household responsibilities. My answers to those blew my mind. It was galling to realise how much time I was spending on running a household and it was news to me to discover that with the hours I was putting in, I was, in fact, a stay-at-home mother. The purpose of the survey was to gather information, but what it did was wake me up to the domestic inequity in my household, and take a good hard look at how I was spending my time. 'How much time did you spend on leisure activities this month?' On at least three of the surveys, my answer was zero. Had it not been for this research element of the project, I'm not sure I would have ever realised this. Writing another zero next to a question about how much money I'd made from my specific art form (playwriting) forced me to have some very difficult conversations with myself. Most artists in Ireland cannot make a living from making art alone. They have to subsidise their income with jobs in other sectors, or if they're lucky, in an arts-related role. In 2024, an estimated 6.6 million tourists visited our island. They didn't all come for the Guinness. And they certainly didn't come for the weather. Our scenery is gorgeous, yes, even in the rain, but what really draws people to Ireland is our culture. Our music, our writers, our art, our theatre, our festivals, these are what make Ireland such a popular place to visit. And when they do, they spend money. Lots of it. So why are the folks that make that culture living on the breadline? The economics of culture are simple: if you build it, they will come. In their droves. They'll spend money in pubs, hotels, galleries, theatres, shops, landmarks and museums. They'll buy books and woolly hats and green hoodies and shillelaghs and Claddagh rings and records and brown bread. They'll splash the cash to immerse themselves in the full experience of the immense culture of Ireland. But culture doesn't build itself. It requires time, talent and dedication. And the people who make that culture can't do it if they can't make the rent, or they can't afford to take their sick kid to the doctor, or they can't afford a space or studio. The poetry that politicians love to quote to humanise themselves doesn't magic up out of nowhere. The TV shows you can't stop binge-watching don't make themselves. The books you read were not written by an AI bot. Someone, an artist, had to sit down at a desk, likely for years, and grind that sucker out. For a pittance. The music you love to listen to started in an artist's head and made its way out on to an instrument. That instrument costs money. The recording equipment and studio space cost more. Like it or not, art needs money, because the people who make it are human beings who need the same things as you: shelter, food and water, yes. But they also need to be valued enough to invest in. [ The Irish Times view on basic income for artists: keep it going Opens in new window ] The Basic Income for the Arts scheme was due to end in August but it has been extended until February 2026. Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan TD, plans to bring proposals for a 'successor scheme' to Cabinet as part of Budget 2026. Economically, the return on a BIA scheme will pay huge dividends in the form of more art, which will grow the tourism industry which will grow the hospitality, service, and retail industries. As an investment, it's a no brainer. And those are pretty thin on the ground these days. Lisa Tierney-Keogh is a playwright and writer
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Patrick O'Donovan admonished for bringing ‘substantial' issues to Cabinet without telling colleagues
Minister for Culture Patrick O'Donovan was admonished by Department of Public Expenditure officials for bringing 'substantial expenditure' issues such as the failed Arts Council IT project to Cabinet without sharing details with colleagues in advance. A senior official in Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers's department complained that, under Government procedures, such important policy issues should be flagged and seen 'well before' these are considered by Ministers. Marianne Cassidy, an assistant secretary at the department, said this was the second time Mr O'Donovan brought a major item to Cabinet 'under the arm', meaning it was not shared in advance with other colleagues. The abandoned project, which led to more than €5.3 million being written off by the State , first came to light in February when Mr O'Donovan brought a memo on the matter to Cabinet. He was only weeks into his new role as a senior minister, and it soon emerged that his predecessor, Catherine Martin , was aware of the matter since summer last year. READ MORE The Department of Public Expenditure became aware of Mr O'Donovan's intention to bring the issue to Cabinet five days before this occurred. On Friday, February 7th, Ms Cassidy wrote to the Department of Culture to say her team understood Mr O'Donovan's memo 'will bring serious issues to the attention of Government'. She said the Department of Public Expenditure still had not seen the memo or been made aware of its detail, despite it appearing that these issues had been under consideration by the Department of Culture 'for a while'. 'As a result, it will not be possible to consider them and advise our Minister in relation to them,' said the letter, released under Freedom of Information laws. The letter noted Mr O'Donovan's proposal to spend €10 million bringing an NFL American football game to Croke Park in September had also gone to Cabinet that same week 'under the arm'. It said this practice 'makes it very difficult for this department, and indeed for Government generally, to thoroughly and properly consider issues and their implications, particularly regarding substantial expenditure implications and serious governance issues'. 'This Department should be allowed time, in compliance with government procedures, to properly scrutinise important policy issues ... well before they are table [sic] for consideration by Government,' it said. The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer at the Department of Public Expenditure had been liaising with the Arts Council throughout the project. At one point, this office had raised concerns that a key person involved in the project seemed to have 'little to no relevant expertise in this particular area'. In a statement, Mr O'Donovan's department said in the case of the NFL and the Arts Council issues 'there were time pressures involved which required the issues to be brought to Government at short notice'. Codec, the international IT company, has confirmed to The Irish Times it is one of four contractors now facing legal action initiated by the Arts Council over the botched project , which led to €6.75 million being spent on a new grant processing system that never materialised. The firm has strongly rejected an Arts Council briefing paper, shared under Freedom of Information laws, that alleged Codec did 'substandard' work on the project and was 'difficult' to engage with. Codec, one of the main contractors, has defended its work on the project. It said it 'fully delivered' on the scope and deliverables and built a system that was 'high quality, fully functioning according to spec'. 'Codec denies that it has any liability to the Arts Council for any alleged losses which the Arts Council claims it may have suffered,' the company said. It said it has received a notice of intent from the Arts Council to commence arbitration and has confirmed its intention to participate. 'Despite several requests, the Arts Council has been unwilling to provide Codec with the report prepared by an auditor examining the project on its behalf,' it also said. An Arts Council spokeswoman said it has 'commenced proceedings against two companies and we are in pre-action stage with two further companies'.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Artists who got almost $1,500 a month under a basic income pilot say their work improved
Ireland's basic income pilot program for the arts ends in August. For three years, 2,000 artists and creative arts workers received about $370 a week. Recipients said the stipend overall improved their daily lives. For about 2,000 artists and creative arts workers in Ireland, a weekly stipend provided through a basic income program has been a lifeline for years. Now, it's almost over. The pilot program began in 2022 under Catherine Martin, Ireland's former minister for tourism and culture. Martin allocated about $28 million to the arts sector following the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were randomly chosen and given an unconditional stipend of €325, or about $370, weekly for three years. During that time, participants met periodically via Zoom to discuss how the additional income had affected their livelihoods, careers, and ability to meet basic needs. The final session was held this month before the program's conclusion in August. Artists and cultural workers who attended the session grappled with what their lives would look like after August, but they hoped government officials would extend the program. "We need no further pilots. People need a UBI now to face and deal with the many social, economic, and ecological crises of our world," Reinhard Huss, the organizer of UBI Lab Leeds, which sponsored the event alongside Basic Income Ireland, UBI Lab Arts, and UBI Lab Network, told Business Insider. New developments in AI are reshaping the job market, replacing some entry-level positions. Tech industry leaders like Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have said implementing a universal basic income will be essential in the near future when AI supplants jobs in most industries. A universal basic income offers an entire population recurring, unconditional payments regardless of an individual's socioeconomic status. Ireland's program, like many others in the United States, is a guaranteed basic income, which targets certain segments of the population for a set period of time. Jenny Dagg, a sociologist lecturing at Ireland's Maynooth University, authored a new report that provides insights into participants' reactions to the program. She gathered data from over 50 of the 2,000 recipients. Although the report outlined nearly a dozen key impacts reported by program recipients, Dagg highlighted five major takeaways during the Zoom session. Dagg said that recipients who received money from the program reported more stability and "significantly reduced" financial stress. It relieved their anxiety about fulfilling their basic needs. Participating in the pilot program also allowed artists to re-prioritize how they spend their time and what they choose to focus on. "The opportunity to focus more on their specific creative interests opened new possibilities and career trajectories," the report said. Artists said the added income allowed them to spend more time "researching, experimenting, taking risks, and failing," which has improved the quality of their work. Artists, the report said, also felt more confident in themselves and their work during the program. "Many recipients talk of feeling empowered, of being in control of the choices within their lives, and envisioning a viable career path longer-term," the report said. Recipients even reported better mental health, which led to improved sleep quality and lowered stress levels. With the end of the program fast approaching, recipients of the weekly payment are reckoning with what how their lives might change. "Across art forms, recipients report concerns about financial stability and sustaining the momentum of their careers when, or if, the basic income scheme ends," Dagg's report said. This month, Basic Income Ireland called on the government to immediately implement a universal and unconditional basic income for the country. A spokesperson for the UBI Lab Network said the pilot program's success shows that basic income is a viable option. The campaign group shared a proposal for introducing a universal basic income to Ireland. "As the pilot shows, basic income works and people need a UBI now to face and deal with the many social, economic, and ecological crises of our world. The Network will continue to help demonstrate basic income within communities and show how it is a sustainable policy," the statement said. Patrick O'Donovan, Ireland's minister for arts and culture, said he would evaluate the data collected throughout the pilot program and create proposals for the government regarding the next steps. "I am heartened by the responses of the Basic Income recipients in this paper," O'Donovan said in the May report. "This research will add to the evaluation being conducted by my department, which to date clearly shows that the Basic Income Pilot has been an effective support for the artists in receipt of it." Read the original article on Business Insider
The Age
08-06-2025
- Climate
- The Age
Brisbane news live: Bike riders to cycle across the traffic lanes of the Story Bridge
Latest posts Bike riders to cycle across the traffic lanes of the Story Bridge A court ruled protesters could not shut down all six traffic lanes of the Story Bridge for a walking protest – but it is still legal for cyclists to ride across. A newly formed group, the Story Bridge Active Travel Alliance, has announced it will host a bike bus, departing from the southern end of the bridge from 8am on weekdays, starting today. Loading A bike bus, used by families to get children to school safely while cycling, involves a group of people riding bikes together along a set route to mitigate the dangers of vehicle traffic. People have been encouraged to wear a high-vis vest or bright clothing and 'as many flashing lights as you can'. 'We will be legally riding slowly over the bridge two abreast in the left-hand lane,' the group posted on Facebook. Protesters had wanted to shut all six lanes of the Story Bridge on Friday, May 30, for a march to draw attention to their calls for Brisbane City Council to allocate one car lane to pedestrians, cyclist and scooter traffic while footpaths were repaired, but a court ruled it could not go ahead. The bridge's footpaths, used by about 4000 walkers, bike and scooter riders daily, were suddenly closed on March 5, reports later revealing parts of the bridge were an 'extreme risk' to the public, while council called for cash from the state and federal governments for a restoration. 7.12am Cold comfort: Weather for the week Winter has Brisbane in its icy grip, with a week's worth of chilly nights forecast and clear days not quite warm enough to thaw us out. Most evenings this week, the temperature in the River City is predicted to slip into single digits. Cloudless days with top temps failing to make even 20 degrees won't trap much of the sun's warmth, so jacket-and-jeans weather is officially back. Here's how the week is expected to pan out. 7.10am While you were sleeping Here's what's making news further afield this morning: The full list of the 830 Australians recognised in the King's Birthday Honours list has been revealed, including costume and production designer Catherine Martin and director Baz Luhrmann, former Federal Court justice and the special investigator into alleged war crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan Mark Weinberg, and former prime minister Scott Morrison among those honoured. The Coalition has offered support for bipartisan 'holistic' reform of the nation's creaking tax system – as long as it does not involve higher taxes. In today's Opinion column, Sean Kelly writes that while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may have a clear vision for Australia, it's not clear to the rest of us. US National Guard troops have arrived in Los Angeles under orders from President Donald Trump, escalating a showdown with California leaders who say the federal deployment is politically driven and unnecessary.
Sydney Morning Herald
08-06-2025
- Climate
- Sydney Morning Herald
Brisbane news live: Bike riders to cycle across the traffic lanes of the Story Bridge
Latest posts Bike riders to cycle across the traffic lanes of the Story Bridge A court ruled protesters could not shut down all six traffic lanes of the Story Bridge for a walking protest – but it is still legal for cyclists to ride across. A newly formed group, the Story Bridge Active Travel Alliance, has announced it will host a bike bus, departing from the southern end of the bridge from 8am on weekdays, starting today. Loading A bike bus, used by families to get children to school safely while cycling, involves a group of people riding bikes together along a set route to mitigate the dangers of vehicle traffic. People have been encouraged to wear a high-vis vest or bright clothing and 'as many flashing lights as you can'. 'We will be legally riding slowly over the bridge two abreast in the left-hand lane,' the group posted on Facebook. Protesters had wanted to shut all six lanes of the Story Bridge on Friday, May 30, for a march to draw attention to their calls for Brisbane City Council to allocate one car lane to pedestrians, cyclist and scooter traffic while footpaths were repaired, but a court ruled it could not go ahead. The bridge's footpaths, used by about 4000 walkers, bike and scooter riders daily, were suddenly closed on March 5, reports later revealing parts of the bridge were an 'extreme risk' to the public, while council called for cash from the state and federal governments for a restoration. 7.12am Cold comfort: Weather for the week Winter has Brisbane in its icy grip, with a week's worth of chilly nights forecast and clear days not quite warm enough to thaw us out. Most evenings this week, the temperature in the River City is predicted to slip into single digits. Cloudless days with top temps failing to make even 20 degrees won't trap much of the sun's warmth, so jacket-and-jeans weather is officially back. Here's how the week is expected to pan out. 7.10am While you were sleeping Here's what's making news further afield this morning: The full list of the 830 Australians recognised in the King's Birthday Honours list has been revealed, including costume and production designer Catherine Martin and director Baz Luhrmann, former Federal Court justice and the special investigator into alleged war crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan Mark Weinberg, and former prime minister Scott Morrison among those honoured. The Coalition has offered support for bipartisan 'holistic' reform of the nation's creaking tax system – as long as it does not involve higher taxes. In today's Opinion column, Sean Kelly writes that while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may have a clear vision for Australia, it's not clear to the rest of us. US National Guard troops have arrived in Los Angeles under orders from President Donald Trump, escalating a showdown with California leaders who say the federal deployment is politically driven and unnecessary.
