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Irish Times
14 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
The Journal
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Minister backs keeping artists' Basic Income after report finds they feel happier and empowered
ARTS MINISTER PATRICK O'Donovan has backed retaining the Basic Income Scheme for artists. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has published a report into the scheme, where artists said the weekly stipend of €325 improved their mental health, made them feel more empowered and gave them much more stability in their life and work. With other benefits cited such as helping to gain artists more sustainable housing, to starting families and establishing pension schemes, the scheme has been loudly welcomed by arts groups. O'Donovan said that the research on a pilot of 2,000 artists shows that the impact of the Basic Income Scheme is 'far-ranging', affecting all aspects of recipients' lives. 'Artists are investing more time and more money into their practice, completing more new artistic output, experiencing reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precariousness of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those who are not receiving the support,' the Fine Gael minister said. Arts Minister Patrick O'Donovan (centre) pictured with the National Campaign for the Arts steering group Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media The commissioned report collected and analysed the experiences of Basic Income for the Arts recipients. It found that providing a basic income for Ireland's artists has helped to achieve the original aums, by assisting in reducing anxiety around making ends meet while increasing time for recipients to pursue their work. Advertisement This increased time for creative pursuits has resulted in greater artist autonomy and better greater ability to plan and navigate their own creative path. Artists also reported that the scheme 'significantly impacts' feelings of financial uncertainty in their lives. As the pilot ends, it's important to hear from the artists themselves. I am struck by the stories collected in this report. This paper complements my Department's research to date which shows that the BIA payment is having a consistent, positive impact for those in receipt of it. In a statement today, O'Donovan said he had met with the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA) last week to discuss the income scheme and was aware that there is broad sectoral support for it. Minister O'Donovan added 'I am heartened by the responses of the Basic Income recipients in this paper. 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. Per the Programme for Government I will evaluate the data from the pilot and then bring proposals to Government about next steps'. The National Campaign for the Arts committee said that it 'emphatically supports' the retention, extension and expansion of Basic Income for the Arts. Calling it a 'transformative policy', the group said it has helped to support artists to 'secure more sustainable housing, address health issues, start families and even establish pension schemes'. The National Campaign for the Arts said that the findings 'affirm what the arts sector has long known', namely, that the 'deep precarity of the arts requires sustained, courageous support—support that not only transforms the lives of artists, but also strengthens the society they help to shape'. The paper published today found that artists felt an importance of 'giving back' to their community and that the scheme had helped them to work on more projects within their locality. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Minister backs retention of Basic Income for Arts scheme
Minister for the Arts Patrick O'Donovan has publicly backed the retention of the Basic Income for the Arts scheme today saying that its impact is "far-ranging and affects all aspects of recipients' lives". In a newly commissioned report published by the Minister this morning, the experiences of Basic Income for the Arts (BIA), more than 50 recipients were interviewed by a sociologist to talk about the changes that the BIA has brought to their lives. The report provides additional context to the data collected so far by the Department as part of the BIA research programme, the Minister said. The scheme which has been running since September 2022 on a three-year pilot timeframe provides 2,000 artists and creative arts workers, who were selected randomly, with payments of €325 per week. The report finds that participation in the scheme has been broadly welcomed by the artistic community with recipients describing a range of impacts including that the weekly financial support "significantly reduces financial anxiety and increases time for creative pursuits". The interviews also demonstrate that recipients reported "greater artistic autonomy, self-efficacy and validation" through participation in the scheme. Minister O'Donovan said that as the pilot ends later this summer, it was important to hear from the artists themselves and that he was "struck" by the stories collected in this report, adding that the paper "complements my Department's research to date which shows that the BIA payment is having a consistent, positive impact for those in receipt of it". Mr O'Donovan also met with the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA) last week to discuss the Basic Income for the Arts and is aware that there is broad sectoral support for the BIA. The NCFA said that it "emphatically" supports the retention, extension and expansion of the BIA, recognising it as a "transformative policy" that empowers artists with meaningful financial stability. It adds that the findings of the report demonstrate that, the pilot scheme has supported artists to "secure more sustainable housing, address health issues, start families and even establish pension schemes". The findings "affirm" what the arts sector has long known: the "deep precarity of the arts requires sustained, courageous support - support that not only transforms the lives of artists, but also strengthens the society they help to shape," a spokesperson for the NCFA added. The paper published today finds that the stability of the payment has significantly reduced underlying financial stress, has allowed recipients to devote time to research and experimentation which resulted in improved quality and opened new career trajectories. The interviewees report a sense of legitimacy and validation and mentioned the importance of 'giving back' to their community. Mr O'Donovan added "I am heartened by the responses of the Basic Income recipients in this paper. "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. Per the Programme for Government I will evaluate the data from the pilot and then bring proposals to Government about next steps." The report was compiled by Dr Jenny Dagg, a sociologist lecturing in the Department of Sociology at Maynooth University. The report's research questions included, 'how does basic income support affect the financial stability of artists and creative workers?' and 'how does basic income support influence the well-being and mental health of artists?'. Key impacts reported by participants illustrated income security, and a rise in artistic output and quality. Recipients acknowledged that the BIA payment makes them feel "legitimate" and validated, that "I am an artist" and that being an artist is now a valid and valued profession. On 8 May Mr O'Donovan said in the Dáil that the scheme had "proven its worth" and that he saw "retention of the scheme as a priority" and that he would make an announcement "soon" to confirm details as an extention would be subject to "budgetary talks". Labour TD Alan Kelly who is the chair of the new Media Committee also welcomed the scheme that day and gave his support to its extention.
Dublin Live
26-05-2025
- Business
- Dublin Live
Social welfare Ireland: €325 a week scheme set to end this summer backed for renewal by Minister
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Arts Minister Patrick O'Donovan is reportedly supportive of the renewal of the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) scheme, which is due to finish up in August. The scheme aims to support the arts and creative practice by giving a payment of €325 a week to artists and creative arts workers. As it is due to finish up in the coming months, the government is currently looking at the possibility of extending it. While Mr O'Donovan is understood to support its retention and expansion, a government decision has yet to be made, the Irish Independent has reported. Last week, Mr O'Donovan met with the National Campaign for the Arts. A senior government source said that the minister did not want to see the benefits of the scheme 'dismissed out of hand'. 'The minister was clear that his ambition is to retain, extend and expand the Basic Income for the Arts – and that individual artists should not bear responsibility for any failures of governance by people in the Arts Council,' the source said. 'The minister is determined to ensure that the social, personal and economic benefits of the BIA scheme aren't dismissed out of hand." Speaking in the Dail earlier this year, Arts Minister Patrick O'Donovan said government data shows that the scheme payment is having a 'consistent' positive impact across almost all indicators affecting practice development, sectoral retention, well-being and deprivation. Approximately 2,000 eligible applicants were selected to participate in the pilot scheme in September 2022. Here's everything you need to know about the scheme: Who was selected? Once you meet the eligibility criteria, you were included in an anonymised random sampling process. A randomiser software was used to select participants at random. The sample was checked to ensure adequate representation. The anonymised randomised selection of participants was held on 29 August 2022. You should have received notification of the outcome of your application on 8 September 2022. How much does the scheme pay? The BIA grant is €325 a week. Payments are made monthly. The payment is taxable, but the amount of tax paid depends on your individual circumstances. You need to register with Revenue as self-employed and pay Schedule D income tax, where appropriate, on the BIA payment. Income from the pilot will be liable for USC and Class S PRSI. You are entitled to earn additional income, which would also be reckonable for the purposes of income tax. How does the scheme work? The pilot scheme evaluates the impact of a basic income on artists and creative arts workers. The pilot programme collects and analyses data from BIA recipients and a control group throughout the pilot. If you were selected to participate on BIA, you will: Take part in the pilot research programme for 3 years (2022 to 2025) Engage in ongoing data collection as part of the pilot to determine the impact of the grant payment Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Independent
26-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Arts Minister Patrick O'Donovan backs continuation of state scheme that pays struggling artists €325 a week
The BIA was introduced in 2022 as a three-year pilot project to help artists deal with precarious incomes. The first of its kind in Ireland, the BIA gives a payment of €325 per week to 2,000 artists and creative arts workers. It was massively oversubscribed when introduced, with more than 8,200 eligible applications received when it opened. With the scheme due to come to an end in August, uncertainty over the BIA's future has caused considerable anxiety within the sector. While Mr O'Donovan is understood to support its retention and expansion, a government decision has yet to be made. A new report into the scheme is set to be published this week, for which more than 50 artists were interviewed about their experience receiving the BIA. The findings of the report, conducted by independent social research consultant Jenny Dagg, were broadly positive and found it provided artists with greater financial security. It found that the scheme reduced the stress and anxiety of recipients and helped them meet their basic needs. For young and recently qualified artists, it gave them the ability to pay their rent and meant they reconsidered emigrating. The minister was clear that his ambition is to retain, extend and expand the Basic Income for the Arts Others reported the BIA gave their profession legitimacy and that it was not perceived as just a hobby or a lifestyle. Last week, Mr O'Donovan met with the National Campaign for the Arts. A senior government source said that the minister did not want to see the benefits of the scheme 'dismissed out of hand'. 'The minister was clear that his ambition is to retain, extend and expand the Basic Income for the Arts – and that individual artists should not bear responsibility for any failures of governance by people in the Arts Council,' the source said. 'The minister is determined to ensure that the social, personal and economic benefits of the BIA scheme aren't dismissed out of hand. 'Some people know the price of everything but the value of nothing. The return on investment here is worth the expenditure, anyone can see that, and the benefits for wider society are huge too,' they added. A source within the Department of Arts said the 'objective analysis of the economic impact of the scheme supports the minister's view, and shows that the overall benefit is significant for both the recipient and the wider arts sector'. Some unexpected benefits reported by BIA recipients included being given a sense of value as well as the ability to start a pension. There were some challenges noted in the research, which included those with disabilities who reported experiencing reductions in their medical and disability support. This was 'as a result of accepting the BIA payment and obstacles around accepting work that impacts welfare thresholds'. Some artists reported their relationships with other artists not in receipt of the BIA as tense and found they told only people close to them that they were in receipt of the support. Others reported they felt guilty having received the BIA, 'knowing the level of scarcity, deprivation and desperation that fellow artists operate at'. Others said an unexpected challenge of the scheme was dealing with financial insecurity if the scheme ended.
