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Ireland hopes to make a program giving artists a stable income permanent
The year 2020 was supposed to be a breakthrough for Dublin-born playwright Lisa Tierney-Keogh. Her play, “This Beautiful Village,” was set to run that summer on the stage of the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre, followed by a nationwide tour.
It was an achievement that Irish writers dream about, Tierney-Keogh said. But in March 2020, the Abbey, along with all of Ireland’s theatres, went dark, and remained shut for at least 15 months when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
“The cancellation of the play was devastating, absolutely devastating,” she said. Two years later, however, the Irish government introduced a basic income scheme to try and get artists back on their feet.
Lisa Tierney-Keogh is a playwright from Dublin. Her play, “This Beautiful Village,” was set to run in 2020 on the stage of the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre, but those plans were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.Courtesy of Nick Bradshaw
Tierney-Keogh was among the 2,000 who were selected. “I remember the day I got the email. It was like my heart jumped in a happy way for the first time in a couple of years. It felt like somebody finally believed in me again,” Tierney- Keogh recalled.
Visual artist Tom Meskell, was in Philadelphia when he too found out that he had been chosen for the program. Meskell, who’s based in Mayo in the west of Ireland, was working on an art project called, “Lights in the Darkness,” raising awareness about mental health and suicide within the Irish diaspora.
Visual artist Tom Meskell’s art project in Philadelphia, “Lights in the Darkness,” raises awareness about mental health and suicide within the Irish diaspora.Courtesy of Kerry McCreight
Early one morning, while staying with fellow Irish artist Tommy Casby, he discovered they had both been selected. “It was around 6:00 a.m. and we both danced around the kitchen.”
For Meskell, a father of two, the news was transformative. “As a self-employed worker, you’re constantly thinking six months ahead about how to keep everything going,” he explained. “It was amazing, I’ve never had [work] security before.”
Tom Meskell’s art exhibition, “Basking Sharks.”Courtesy of Caleb Barrett
The scheme was broadly welcomed in Ireland — a public consultation produced a 97% positive response. But not all members of the public are onboard. Callers into Irish radio station Newstalk questioned why artists deserved the income and not other professions.
“If you can’t make money as an artist, then perhaps change [your] career,” one listener complained on the station’s lunchtime show.
Tierney-Keogh said comments like this come from a place of ignorance. “Do you like books? Do you like music? Do you watch [television]? Do you go to the cinema? Do you go to the theater? Some artists had to create all of that.”
Artwork by Elinor O’Donovan, who says being a part of the Irish government’s basic income scheme for artists meant she could give up her part-time job as a receptionist and live in central Dublin to develop her artwork.Courtesy of Elinor O’Donovan
A steady income over three years allowed Tierney-Keogh the freedom to concentrate on her writing full time. It also helped pay for some major medical bills as she underwent treatment for endometriosis.
And Cork-born visual artist Elinor O’Donovan said the scheme meant she could give up her part-time job as a receptionist and live in central Dublin developing her work in film installation and digital collage.
The pilot scheme comes to an end next February, but in October, the Irish government announced it would renew the program on a permanent basis from late 2026.
An independent evaluation of the pilot program found that recipients spent more time on creative work, suffered less financial stress and experienced an overall improvement in well-being. The report also found that for every €1 ($1.32) of public money invested in the pilot, Irish society made €1.39 ($1.83) in return.
Basic income programs rarely survive past the pilot stage. Andrew White, senior lecturer in the Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries at King’s College London, said the Irish program is somewhat of an anomaly. In 2017, Finland experimented with a two-year program giving 2,000 unemployed Finns a monthly flat payment of €560 ($634). Analysis of that scheme showed happiness levels among participants increased, but the majority of them did not secure employment.
The issue often comes down to cost, White said. “When the government asked Finns, ‘Well, if we rolled the scheme out to the whole population, would you be prepared to pay for the increases in taxes that that would require?’ there was a marked reluctance on the part of Finns to support that.” The Finnish plan was ultimately abandoned.
The basic income for the arts program in Ireland enjoys support across the political spectrum. Andrew White said it may be indicative of the Irish government’s overall support for the arts.
Visual artist Elinor O’Donovan is not so sure. She pointed out that state funding for the arts has not kept pace with inflation. “Funding for the arts in Budget 26 hasn’t increased from last year, which means that if you take into account inflation, we’ve essentially had a cut to the arts.”
Visual artist Elinor O’Donovan says state funding for the arts has not kept pace with inflation.Courtesy of Sarah O’Driscoll
O’Donovan, who’s a member of Praxis: The Artists’ Union of Ireland, is calling for the scheme to be extended to all 8,000 applicants who were originally considered eligible for the pilot program.
Writer Lisa Tierney-Keogh worries that the government may backtrack on plans to make the scheme permanent. The program is so important for Irish artists, she said, it’s not just about the money, it’s a validation of the work we do.
“It says, ‘We see what you’re doing, we recognize it, and keep doing it. For artists, that’s massive.”
The post Ireland hopes to make a program giving artists a stable income permanent appeared first on The World from PRX.
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By The year 2020 was supposed to be a breakthrough for Dublin-born playwright Lisa Tierney-Keogh. Her play, “This Beautiful Village,” was set to run that summer on the stage of the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre, followed by a nationwide tour.
It was an achievement that Irish writers dream about, Tierney-Keogh said. But in March 2020, the Abbey, along with all of Ireland’s theatres, went dark, and remained shut for at least 15 months when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
“The cancellation of the play was devastating, absolutely devastating,” she said. Two years later, however, the Irish government introduced a basic income scheme to try and get artists back on their feet.
Lisa Tierney-Keogh is a playwright from Dublin. Her play, “This Beautiful Village,” was set to run in 2020 on the stage of the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre, but those plans were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.Courtesy of Nick Bradshaw
Tierney-Keogh was among the 2,000 who were selected. “I remember the day I got the email. It was like my heart jumped in a happy way for the first time in a couple of years. It felt like somebody finally believed in me again,” Tierney- Keogh recalled.
Visual artist Tom Meskell, was in Philadelphia when he too found out that he had been chosen for the program. Meskell, who’s based in Mayo in the west of Ireland, was working on an art project called, “Lights in the Darkness,” raising awareness about mental health and suicide within the Irish diaspora.
Visual artist Tom Meskell’s art project in Philadelphia, “Lights in the Darkness,” raises awareness about mental health and suicide within the Irish diaspora.Courtesy of Kerry McCreight
Early one morning, while staying with fellow Irish artist Tommy Casby, he discovered they had both been selected. “It was around 6:00 a.m. and we both danced around the kitchen.”
For Meskell, a father of two, the news was transformative. “As a self-employed worker, you’re constantly thinking six months ahead about how to keep everything going,” he explained. “It was amazing, I’ve never had [work] security before.”
Tom Meskell’s art exhibition, “Basking Sharks.”Courtesy of Caleb Barrett
The scheme was broadly welcomed in Ireland — a public consultation produced a 97% positive response. But not all members of the public are onboard. Callers into Irish radio station Newstalk questioned why artists deserved the income and not other professions.
“If you can’t make money as an artist, then perhaps change [your] career,” one listener complained on the station’s lunchtime show.
Tierney-Keogh said comments like this come from a place of ignorance. “Do you like books? Do you like music? Do you watch [television]? Do you go to the cinema? Do you go to the theater? Some artists had to create all of that.”
Artwork by Elinor O’Donovan, who says being a part of the Irish government’s basic income scheme for artists meant she could give up her part-time job as a receptionist and live in central Dublin to develop her artwork.Courtesy of Elinor O’Donovan
A steady income over three years allowed Tierney-Keogh the freedom to concentrate on her writing full time. It also helped pay for some major medical bills as she underwent treatment for endometriosis.
And Cork-born visual artist Elinor O’Donovan said the scheme meant she could give up her part-time job as a receptionist and live in central Dublin developing her work in film installation and digital collage.
The pilot scheme comes to an end next February, but in October, the Irish government announced it would renew the program on a permanent basis from late 2026.
An independent evaluation of the pilot program found that recipients spent more time on creative work, suffered less financial stress and experienced an overall improvement in well-being. The report also found that for every €1 ($1.32) of public money invested in the pilot, Irish society made €1.39 ($1.83) in return.
Basic income programs rarely survive past the pilot stage. Andrew White, senior lecturer in the Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries at King’s College London, said the Irish program is somewhat of an anomaly. In 2017, Finland experimented with a two-year program giving 2,000 unemployed Finns a monthly flat payment of €560 ($634). Analysis of that scheme showed happiness levels among participants increased, but the majority of them did not secure employment.
The issue often comes down to cost, White said. “When the government asked Finns, ‘Well, if we rolled the scheme out to the whole population, would you be prepared to pay for the increases in taxes that that would require?’ there was a marked reluctance on the part of Finns to support that.” The Finnish plan was ultimately abandoned.
The basic income for the arts program in Ireland enjoys support across the political spectrum. Andrew White said it may be indicative of the Irish government’s overall support for the arts.
Visual artist Elinor O’Donovan is not so sure. She pointed out that state funding for the arts has not kept pace with inflation. “Funding for the arts in Budget 26 hasn’t increased from last year, which means that if you take into account inflation, we’ve essentially had a cut to the arts.”
Visual artist Elinor O’Donovan says state funding for the arts has not kept pace with inflation.Courtesy of Sarah O’Driscoll
O’Donovan, who’s a member of Praxis: The Artists’ Union of Ireland, is calling for the scheme to be extended to all 8,000 applicants who were originally considered eligible for the pilot program.
Writer Lisa Tierney-Keogh worries that the government may backtrack on plans to make the scheme permanent. The program is so important for Irish artists, she said, it’s not just about the money, it’s a validation of the work we do.
“It says, ‘We see what you’re doing, we recognize it, and keep doing it. For artists, that’s massive.”
The post Ireland hopes to make a program giving artists a stable income permanent appeared first on The World from PRX.