33 Waterford artists and creative workers will receive a grant under a new initiative titled Basic Income for the Arts Pilot Scheme.
It will see 2,000 artists nationwide receive a basic income of €325 per week over 3 years and was announced by Minister Catherine Martin, Minster for the Arts and Green Party Deputy Leader.
Of those, 707 are visual artists, 584 are musicians, 204 are artists working in film, 184 are writers, 173 are actors and artists working in theatre, 32 are dancers and choreographers, 13 are circus artists and 10 are architects. 3% work through the Irish language.
"Many people working in the Arts Sector face precarious employment, with income varying commission to commission, gig to gig. Trialling a basic income in the sector will allow these artists to fully engage with their creative practices with the security of income certainty," Waterford Green Party TD, Marc Ó Cathasaigh said as he welcomed the scheme.
Over 9,000 applications were made under the scheme with over 8,200 assessed as eligible.
The 2,000 selected were chosen through a randomised selection process.
A basic income for the arts was the number one recommendation of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce 'Life Worth Living' Report which was organised by Minister Catherine Martin in 2020.
It was set up to examine how the sector could adapt and recover from the unprecedented damage arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"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," Minister Martin said.
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