The Irish government is poised to make their “transformative initiative” to support the arts and creative practice a permanent program starting 2026.
Three years after it was launched as a pioneering pilot scheme to help artists and creative arts workers, the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) will continue to provide selected artists with a basic income of €325, or roughly around $380 per week.
The BIA was the recommended proposal of the Arts and Culture Recovery Task Force Life Worth Living Report – commissioned by then culture minister Catherine Martine – that examined how the sector could adapt and recover from the damage of COVID-19, as well as how the government provides assistance to artists when Ireland’s cultural institutions were forced to shut down.
Around 2,000 selected artists took part in the program which ran from 2022 to 2025. It was then extended to six months until February 2026. Applicants were tasked to apply under visual arts, theater, literature, music, drama, opera, film, circuses and architecture.
As part of their application, they were required to submit two pieces of evidence proving that they were professional creative workers, such as proof of income from their art sales, reviews, or their membership in a professional body.
Some 9,000 artists applied, with 8,200 deemed eligible. 2,000 creative workers were randomly selected to receive funds, while another 1,000 applicants were placed in a control group to be monitored but didn’t receive the basic pay.
