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Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce proposes 3 year pilot of universal income for artists

Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce proposes 3 year pilot of universal income for artists

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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 NameOrganisation
Clare DuignanChair 
Colette ByrneCounty and City Management Association
Denise ChailaArtist
Jane DalyCo-Director, Irish Theatre Institute
Pearse DohertyEvent Industry Alliance
Angela DorganChair, National Campaign for the Arts
Conor FalveyDepartment of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media
Désirée FinneganCEO, Screen Ireland
Elaine GeraghtyCEO, Screen Producers Ireland
Martin HayesMusician
Andrew HetheringtonCEO, Business to Arts
Rónán HessionDepartment of Social Protection
Maureen KennellyDirector, The Arts Council
Mary McCarthyCouncil of National Cultural Institutions
Eleanor McEvoyIrish Music Rights Organisation
Aoife McWeeneyDepartment of Health
Elaine O’ConnorEvent Industry Alliance
Karan O’LoughlinIrish Congress of Trade Unions & Irish Equity
Micheál Ó FearraighEalaín 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.

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