Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce proposes 3 year pilot of universal income for artists
The Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce which was set up by The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, T.D has published its Life Worth Living report, that addresses arts and culture in a COVID-19 current and post era.
Among the recommendations for the survival of the industry and sector are:
- Pilot of a universal basic income scheme for a three-year period in the arts, culture, audiovisual and live performance and events sectors. The introduction of such a basic income pilot would create a more stable social protection mechanism to allow artists and events workers to sustain themselves during the pandemic and to take up work when it arises without losing existing social protection supports.
- Establish a new VAT Compensation Scheme for artists and for freelance arts, live entertainment and events workers and companies. The Taskforce proposes that the VAT compensation scheme already in place for charities in Ireland be applied by Revenue to artists, freelance arts, live entertainment and events workers and companies in certain circumstances.
- Securing the Viability of the Live Events Industry – Introduce a business supports grant scheme for SME’s in the Events Industry that are excluded from the COVID-19 restrictions support scheme (CRSS)
- Providing more Outdoor Public Spaces for Cultural Events – Establish ‘Re-imagining our public spaces’: A capital improvement programme, including targeted resources for local authorities to adapt, equip or improve public spaces for cultural and events activities as well as an activation fund for the private sector to utilise their space
- Sustaining Local Authority Capacity to Support Arts, Culture, Live Entertainment and Events – Government should commit to continue its provision of financial support to Local Authorities to offset any loss of income they experience in 2021 so as to enable them to maintain their investment in Arts, Culture and Events at 2020 levels.
- Ensuring the Wellbeing of Ireland’s Creative and Cultural Community – Establish a programme that provides wellbeing supports to the creative sector.
You can view the report in full here
Here are the members of the taskforce:
| Member Name | Organisation |
| Clare Duignan | Chair |
| Colette Byrne | County and City Management Association |
| Denise Chaila | Artist |
| Jane Daly | Co-Director, Irish Theatre Institute |
| Pearse Doherty | Event Industry Alliance |
| Angela Dorgan | Chair, National Campaign for the Arts |
| Conor Falvey | Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media |
| Désirée Finnegan | CEO, Screen Ireland |
| Elaine Geraghty | CEO, Screen Producers Ireland |
| Martin Hayes | Musician |
| Andrew Hetherington | CEO, Business to Arts |
| Rónán Hession | Department of Social Protection |
| Maureen Kennelly | Director, The Arts Council |
| Mary McCarthy | Council of National Cultural Institutions |
| Eleanor McEvoy | Irish Music Rights Organisation |
| Aoife McWeeney | Department of Health |
| Elaine O’Connor | Event Industry Alliance |
| Karan O’Loughlin | Irish Congress of Trade Unions & Irish Equity |
| Micheál Ó Fearraigh | Ealaín na Gaeltachta |
The Taskforce met seven times in total up to the end of October, however all members also participated in working groups under the Taskforce.
It considered nearly 40 submissions and representations received from practitioners across all of the Arts/Culture, Audio-Visual, Entertainment and Live Events sector.
- It sought advice from a number of independent sources.
