Speech by Minister Catherine Martin at the Conference on Status of the Artist

Conference on Status of the Artist

Alex Hotel - Monday 27 May

Opening remarks from Minister Martin

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A dhaoine uaisle, bhur gcéad fáilte chuig an gcomhdháil speisialta seo inniu, ina ndéanfaimid plé ar ‘Stádas an Ealaíontóra’ in Éirinn. Tá áthas orm go bhfuil slua mór againn cruinnithe le chéile chun an cheist ríthábhachtach seo a phlé. Tá na healaíona agus cás an ealaíontóra mar phríomhthosaíocht domsa mar Aire. Sin an fáth gur bhunaigh mé an Scéim Phíolótach um Ioncam Bunúsach do na hEalaíona. Is cinnte gur ábhar misnigh dom na torthaí a léirítear sa taighde a d’fhoilsíomar inniu do chéad bhliain na scéime.

Good morning everyone and welcome to today’s conference to discuss the Status of the Artist in Ireland. I am heartened to see so many artists and organisations who work on behalf of artists represented here and I am very much looking forward to today’s discussions.

The work of artists inspires and reflects the rhythm of the everyday, as well as momentous events in public life. At home and abroad the arts are the hallmark of our creativity as a people.

I would like to say at the outset how important the arts are to me personally. All my life, I have loved the arts, especially music and our traditional arts, which have a special place in my heart. I have always known the importance of music and art in enriching our lives and enhancing our wellbeing. So it was a particular privilege for me to become Minister with responsibility for the arts.

I know that too often, artists struggle for the level of income to meet even their basic needs. That is why when I became Minister, I was determined to focus on supporting professional arts practice. And while there is always work still to be done, I am pleased that this government has done more than any other in our history to demonstrate to artists that they are valued, that their work is appreciated and that the contribution they make to enhancing all of our lives is understood.

While there is always more to be done, in the four years since I became Minister:

• funding for the Culture programme in my department has grown by over 90%
• funding for the Arts Council has grown by 68%
• funding for Screen Ireland has grown by 88%
• funding for Culture Ireland has grown 65%
• we have the new, highly innovative three year €105 million Basic Income for the Arts Research Programme
• funding for National Cultural Institutions has increased by over 50%
• we are supporting the provision of new artist workspaces in Dublin City and elsewhere

But the signature innovation of this government in terms of publicly funded support for our artists is the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme.

Previous surveys have pointed to precarious incomes being all too common for artists. Therefore, the delivery of the Basic Income for the Arts has been a key priority for me. I believe that this is a once in a generation policy intervention that has the potential to transform the lives of artists.

Income precarity is of course an issue for artists across the world. Last year the European Parliament adopted a proposal for an EU framework to improve the living and working conditions for cultural and creative workers. I am proud that Ireland is leading the way in terms of research into supports that can make the pursuit of a creative career possible. I know from many engagements with international colleagues that the world is watching what we are doing here in Ireland. I was invited to Westminster to talk to them about the pilot and have spoken to the New Zealand Minister for Culture.

Today, I am publishing a paper analysing the impact of the basic income over the first full year since its inception. The research shows that positive impacts for those receiving the payment materialised fairly quickly within the first six months of the pilot. A year on, the BIA payment is having a consistent, positive impact across almost all indicators; affecting practice development, sectoral retention, well-being, and deprivation.

To give a few examples:

• each week, BIA recipients spend 8 hours more on their practice
• they spend less time working in other sectors
• recipients are more likely than the control group to be able to sustain themselves through arts work alone
• life satisfaction increased for BIA recipients compared to the control group
• depression and anxiety decreased for recipients
• recipients were less likely to have difficulty making ends meet compared to the control group
• recipients invest each month €550 more than the control group in their practice, namely on equipment and materials, advertising and marketing, workspaces, and work travel
• recipients are more likely to have completed new works in the previous 6 months

While it is still relatively early in the research phase of the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme, it is clear that the support is having a positive impact. Artists in receipt of the support are typically able to devote more time to their art, have a boost to their wellbeing through greater life satisfaction and reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precariousness of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those who are not receiving the support.

I am regularly approached by artists participating in the scheme; and you will see on the screens today some of the hundreds of comments the research team have received from participants. Feedback from them, in terms of the impact that the support is having, is unfailingly positive. That is why I would like see this scheme expanded to more and more artists. The research my department is doing during the pilot will be key in providing a strong evidence base for its continuation.

Another issue that I think is timely to discuss, is that of freedom of expression for artists. This has become particularly relevant with the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and many Irish artists have taken strong positions boycotting and withdrawing from events in response to the crisis.

The Irish Government, along with Spain and Norway, will tomorrow formally recognise the State of Palestine. This is a historic moment for Palestine, one that chimes with our own history in Ireland when, in 1919, we asked the world to recognise our status as an independent State and our right to self-determination. Our recognition of Palestine as a State is a strong statement that we wish the same for the people of Palestine.

I want to reiterate the utmost respect I have for artists’ freedom of expression as artists, which is fundamental to their role as agents of change in society. Freedom of expression for artists is an essential part of a properly functioning democracy. It’s essential for us to have a diversity of voices and people willing to hold a lens up to society and reflect back what is happening.

The timing of today’s conference is really useful as we look to the development of a new cultural policy to build on Culture 2025. Culture 2025 is the government’s last five-year strategy, setting out the key priorities for the arts and culture. We are in a very different world since Culture 2025 was drafted, and much has changed post-COVID.

I see today as the first step in the consultation process on the new cultural policy, and I am looking forward to hearing your views on what are the key themes we need to focus on to create the best environment we can for artists working in Ireland. How we consume our culture, how we interact, the challenge of climate change, and other global factors, will all need to be considered in the development of our new policy.

What are the challenges facing Irish artists and what can we do, now, to create the policy environment to help artists thrive?

I look forward to today’s discussions and to hearing your views.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.