New Weekly Basic Income for Artists

State Sponsored Art...it'll be even more drab than RTE!

I already know what the cultural output will be, we all do!

I'm sceptical of this artists' UBI.

A lot of Irish "artists" are plugged into a matrix of social/political advocacy and more state subsidies will just mean more of the same - explictly political pieces which will win praise for their social meaning.

Maybe you're right. There's at least a chance that good things could come from it

On the contrary - given the collapse in income streams for musicians in the past 20 years or so often the only artists and bands who can stick at it long enough to be successful are those from privileged backgrounds.

Aside: usually the people who come out with guff like this are not in poverty themselves. It's akin to the love of older people sending younger people off to war.

Poverty is a driver away from art.

May have been true in the past when the vast majority had fúck all.

But bills got to be paid now.

It's an interesting pilot which is one of a kind in the world I think.

Will be interesting to see what metrics they apply to deem it a success or failure.

might easily have done it with small farmers instead if there weren't so many of them.

There is already a scheme called Farm Assist, as well as multiple grants.

i would support this if the state owned 10% (stand in figure for illustration purposes), of all future earnings.

that way you can put money in, and when the 1/10000 strikes, you make the money back.

The universal basic income is supposed to support you so you can make art/survive without having to spend all your time and energy at a draining day job. If you're asking 'How is an artist who can't find work different than a factory worker who can't find work?' then you just don't get it at all.

I have a degree in fine art and have had months or even years where I couldn't do anything creative because I had to work some crappy job to get by. I did factory work myself, 12 hr nights in a medical device factory and I wanted to kill myself. It ruined my mental and physical health (I got some horrible skin rash from the stress)

I am hoping they widen the scheme as I hadn't heard about it and I just got fired from another crappy job, this one in retail. I was there 2 years and tried my best only to be told 'it wasn't the right environment for me.' The reason we need a scheme like this is because when you get a fine art degree there are no jobs in the field besides teaching and that requires another additional qualification and is actually a separate career altogether that may not suit everyone.

So you are left with the menial types of jobs you can get without a degree - hospitality, retail, customer service. I've done them all, and now that I'm no longer in my 20s (nowhere near them in fact) and just got fired from another one, I will never bother with a job like that ever again. Because those jobs aren't worth it. The pay is low, you're often physically drained by being on your feet all day, mentally drained by dealing with the insane/idiotic public, and I have also found that the management you work for in these positions range from the merely disrespectful to the downright tyrannical. The lower you are paid the worse everyone treats you. The environments are just very oppressive. That's why these places can't get staff any more - not just artists, everyone is realizing it's not worth dealing with the outrageous nonsense these places put you through.

When you are a creative person, having to spend the majority of your waking hours doing something that isn't your calling really, really gnaws at you. I know nobody likes to work, but if you really are creative it's a different feeling, it's like being a fish out of water it feels so suffocating. I worked with a girl who used to say she didn't like having too many days off as she got bored at home with nothing to do. Artists are not like that, in fact, I would say that type of person is basically the opposite of me (also evidenced by the fact she was really got at the job and I got sacked lol)

And that's another thing to consider - a lot of artists just arent good at anything else. The modern work environment often demands a high level of conformity, a terminally upbeat personality, and a corporate bootlicker outlook on life, while any type of creativity or individuality is looked upon with disdain.

I had to apply for the dole now and if I can't get onto this scheme at some point I imagine I'll be forced onto Jobpath for the 3rd time in my life where they'll try and force me to apply for jobs I have proven I will only ever last at for 2 years max even though I try hard at them. I shouldn't be made sit there and listen to someone who is probably an ex-retail worker themselves (like the last 2 advisors I had admitted they were) how to jazz up my CV to get another job in a call centre or hotel.

I'll happily work in a regular job that pays a living (not minimum) wage and isn't degrading or soul sucking. But where are those jobs? Well, you need a different qualification for them. And unfortunately when I was growing up we were told to follow our dreams and passions. I guess I was dumb for believing that but here we are.

I find a lot of people in STEM will scoff and basically say if what you do doesn't make money then it has no worth and you should be made to give it up and work at something else. Well imagine if we lived in a society with no art/music/books/films except for that which was produced by the offspring of the wealthy. That would suck. Or imagine if we lived in a world where all the money was in art and no one cared that you could code an app, like it was considered a worthless skill. Wouldn't it be awful for you to be forced to do something else than what you are good at or passionate about?

A world where everyone can follow their passion - that would be amazing. And if you don't have a passion that's okay too we will still need plumbers.

I dont think taxpayers should be forced to fund your lifestyle dreams.

Get a job and pay your own way.

art covers more than drawing and painting. people would be whinging if no-one wrote any music, wrote books or make tv

try it yourself. not easy to create music, commit to gigging AND keep a job because the music doesnt pay since people now expect it for free. I was talking to a feela who made his money in music in the 70s - then you could use poverty as a driver as you could actually turn a coin writing and playing music. You cant do that anymore as tight fisted eejits think Spotify is great.

If you read my post you would have seen that I never said menial jobs were beneath me - in fact it's the opposite. I have done them all. But you only saw what you wanted to see to confirm your own bias as you began frothing at the mouth immediately upon hearing that someone doesn't want to work a minimum wage job.

As I said I did 12 hour nights in a factory. I have worked in retail for the past 2 years. During college I worked in a hotel bartending until 4 am almost every Friday and Saturday night including some midweek shifts. Before that I worked in a call centre for 2 years.

And I already admitted that the degree is useless as far as finding a regular job. Not sure why you think that is some brilliant insight you have come up with - that fact is literally the reason for the scheme. That was why I posted, because people seem to not get that this is why the scheme has come about.

I don't need to 'label myself creative'. Earning a degree in fine art and having your artwork be selected and hung in exhibitions had already proved that.

I never said I was looking for sympathy - I explained why the scheme was deemed necessary and tried to give a bit of background about the type of person who it is suitable for and why. You totally ignored all that, and also ignored the fact I have worked in all these menial jobs because you wanted to label me a layabout and put me down.

There was little point in you even contributing to the discussion because you are already had your mind made up. You didn't even read or take on board any of the points except ones you thought confirmed your own bias.

I guess I'll go faff about now, with the taxpayer propping me up. Though since I have been working and paying tax the last 2 years I won't feel too guilty.

Most people change jobs when what they do no longer support their lifestyle. And for such a subjective subject, I think it's a crazy, stupid and pointless grant that has no right to be taken from taxpayers money.

My niecephew enquired about it, being all artsy and stuff, and was basically told you nearly need to already have an income stream from selling your art before you can get it. So it's not for newbies, it's for the nearly established who are struggling. Still seems like a waste to me, propping up other peoples lives because they want to do what they want to do. Feck the rest of us.

"Artists" added to list of people I hate because they get things I have to pay for. It's a long list...

Pretty much all League Of Ireland players are amateur, 100% GAA players too.. would they not be too knackered after the physical exertions and mental taxation and physical of training, traveling, playing matches, media work, etc… ? None of them are professionals but train multiple hours a week in gyms and on pitches… and work or study or all three…But artists ? Give me a break.

private citizens who pursue art as a hobby, a business or a combination of both really should not be entitled to be enabled with payments from the taxpayers…. Grant, sure, proportionate to what they are doing and the finances of the country but the administration of this shîtshow will cost a bomb too… got the Green Party all over it. Ninja them..