461

Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists (www.gov.ie)

submitted 2 months ago by Beep@lemmus.org to c/world@lemmy.world

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[-] Peruvian_Skies@sh.itjust.works 47 points 2 months ago

Good news, thank the heavens.

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[-] yeahiknow3@lemmy.dbzer0.com 47 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Even amazing writers and musicians can barely scrape a living. Being an artist is mostly unpaid labor that enriches Irish culture. Why wouldn’t we incentivize artists for some pitiful sum of money if they’re willing?

No matter how much capitalists pretend that artistic talent falls from the sky like mana for the rest of us to enjoy, it isn’t actually free. It takes thousands of hours of effort to become something resembling an artist. And this program is a cheap way to make that happen.

[-] stylusmobilus@aussie.zone 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

One thing I consistently find is the willingness of those who oppose arts funding to seek free entry to performing arts or offer ‘exposure’ as payment to artists.

Edit: changed ‘to’ to ‘who’

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[-] SARGE@startrek.website 21 points 2 months ago

Account less than a month old and posting uplifting news, while being salty about said news in the comments.

I smell astroturf.

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[-] Kn1ghtDigital@lemmy.zip 14 points 2 months ago

Amazing, I love it. Good job Ireland!

[-] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 10 points 2 months ago

"Fuck my life!", said factory workers throughout the land.

[-] yeahiknow3@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 2 months ago

Factory workers are eligible to become artists at any time. It was always allowed.

[-] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 5 points 2 months ago

Art is a skill that takes time and dedication to cultivate, and often at least a seed of talent to boot.

I can't just wake up one morning and say "I'm an artist now" anymore than I can wake up and say "I'm a doctor today."

[-] yeahiknow3@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

That’s the point. People want to simultaneously pretend that art is the trivial pursuit of effete dilettantes but also that subsidizing art is unfair since it would take too much sacrifice and effort for any random person to become an artist.

[-] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 months ago

I see. Yeah, that makes sense.

I view arts and humanities as occupying the top of Maslow's hierarchy. A healthy arts and humanities scene is a sign that society is flourishing. Someone who can pursue those as careers instead of hobbies is self-actualized.

I think public patronage of the arts and humanities is ultimately a good thing, and should happen in addition to all the other, more basic needs. Food, housing, and utilities should be prioritized, and the jobs that provide those things. Then healthcare, education, social work, public servants, parks & rec, etc.

Arts and humanities shouldn't be neglected, but the fabric of society should be built from the ground up to support a healthy arts scene.

[-] yeahiknow3@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 months ago

Yeah, plus we’ve achieved the economic conditions where everyone’s basic needs can be met. That they are not is a deliberate and vincible evil.

[-] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 months ago

I agree. I think a good starting place would be assessing the cost of living by region or district, and then anyone who makes below that amount should receive a supplementary allowance (funded by the wealthy, of course. If they were paying people fairly then nobody would be making below the cost of living).

Other things should be in the purview of public goods, of course. For countries that don't already have it, healthcare and education should be top priorities. They should be seen as investments in a healthy society, not as merely handouts to individuals.

Eventually food should be produced and distributed by public (state-owned) entities, at-cost rather than for-profit. But that's a longer-term goal that needs careful planning and implementation, so pushing too hard for it too soon could derail progress on other priorities like healthcare, education, and guaranteed basic income.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

IIRC this program is invite-only, because yeah, otherwise it'd end up being for everyone.

Edit: And that's sus, and might just end in politician's cousins getting invited.

[-] vga@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 months ago

325 euros per week, says the article.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Or the disabled, or the just poor and untalented.

Basic income is the darling of policy wonks of all kinds. But, doing it just for already-successful artists is a bit random.

[-] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Perfection is the enemy of the good. Better to start sooner than to wait for a consensus on the best way.

[-] Reygle@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

That's honestly pretty neat, assuming these artists are more useful to society than my idiotic "artist" sister. I'm interested to see how it plays out over the long term, and what it could mean for other places considering a universal basic income.

[-] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 months ago

I think it'd be pretty neat even if it covered useless idiots. Keeps 'em out of trouble.

[-] Reygle@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

A sane person would think that if they don't know my sister.

[-] jaybone@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 months ago

Didn’t they already do this like a year ago? And the year before that?

[-] AlecSadler@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 2 months ago

They were trialing it, yeah, turned out to be successful so they're permanizing it

[-] Stamau123@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

that's cool. UBI next!

[-] BaraCoded@literature.cafe 3 points 2 months ago

I'd love that in France...

[-] Jarix@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

It's almost like artistic endeavours take time to be valued in their entirety. Years, decades, centuries sometimes. And the number crunchers just don't want to give it a chance because it isn't a good ROI for this quarter or period.

[-] stylusmobilus@aussie.zone 2 points 2 months ago

So anyone who has been close to musicians is aware of how little they get for what they do and how much time they put in. Sometimes they’re lucky to get drinks for what they do.

In the meantime, we have arseholes with at least enough money in their pockets to go out telling the door person ‘we’re with the band’, hitting bands up for entry or trying to get in the back entrance with them. For 10 or 15 entry fee.

That’s just a perspective of someone who has been close to local level musicians and isn’t an artist themselves. I can imagine what other performing and producing artists have to put up with.

Good on Ireland for this. I don’t think they’ll struggle screening it. Social payments underwrite artistic creativity because if artists have it, they can at least eat and live while they produce for the entertainment of others.

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this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2026

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