Clare artists successful in novel Basic Income grant scheme
A NUMBER of artists in Clare have been successfully awarded the novel Basic Income for the arts grant.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and the Media, Catherine Martin TD, announced the awarding of 2,000 grants for artists and creative arts workers through the new Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme.
A total of 54 recipients residing in County Clare have been awarded the special grant to further their work.
These participants will take part in a three year research programme to assess the impact of a basic-income-style payment on the arts sector.
Payments of €325 per week will be made to 2,000 eligible artists and creative arts workers over the course of the scheme.
Minister Martin described it as an historic day for the arts in Ireland and a significant change to the way Ireland recognises and supports her artists.
The Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme is a once-in-a-generation initiative, she added.
Over 9,000 applications were made under the scheme with over 8,200 assessed as eligible and included in a randomised anonymous selection process.
The group of 2,000 grant participants includes representatives from all art forms, age groups, ethnicities and counties.
This includes 707 visual artists, 584 musicians, 204 artists working in film, 184 writers, 173 actors and artists working in theatre, 32 dancers and choreographers, 13 circus artists and 10 architects. 3% or 54 of those selected work through the Irish language.
84% of those selected identified as practising artists, 9% identified as Creative Arts Workers and 7% as Recently Trained Applicants.
Minister Catherine Martin, added: “The pandemic reinforced the fact that each and every person relies on and leans into the arts during times of need and every person was reminded of the true value of artists and their work during the last two years as we listened to music, read poetry and watched films to get ourselves through those difficult days.
"And it is the arts that will help us make sense of what happened and help us shape the future. With so much uncertainty in the world now including the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis, and huge cost of living increases, we need the arts more than ever to help inspire us to imagine and create a better future for ourselves.”