Election 2024: Parties commit to continued support for Basic Income for the Arts scheme

Via The Journal Of Music: Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats have published their manifestos for the 2024 election. This follows the publication of manifestos from Fianna Fáil and the Green Party last week, and from Fine Gael, Labour, and People Before Profit earlier this week. All manifestos contain sections on the arts.

Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats are each promising to develop a long-term scheme informed by the results of the Basic Income for the Arts pilot, which concludes in August 2025. They have also committed to increased funding for the Arts Council.

Sinn Féin is promising to increase the Arts Council budget to €200m; develop a scheme based on the Basic Income for the Arts pilot; exempt disabled artists from having arts bursaries and awards count against their social protection entitlements; deliver a capital programme for arts spaces; recognise comedy, musical theatre, storytelling and fashion design to allow practitioners access to Arts Council supports; and examine the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the arts with a view to developing a policy at a national level.

The Social Democrats say they will increase funding for the Arts Council and Culture Ireland; use the findings from the Basic Income for Artists study to create a more permanent scheme; introduce a €200 culture voucher for 18- to 24-year-olds; ensure planning legislation takes cultural and creative spaces into account for all public developments; support the establishment of night mayors in each city; and invest in studios, galleries, theatres and workspaces.

The seven parties that have published arts plans in their manifestos – Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Green Party, Sinn Féin, Labour, Social Democrats and People Before Profit – have committed to continuing and expanding the BIA in some form.

The National Campaign for the Arts held an arts hustings event at the Gate Theatre in Dublin, at which representatives from all political parties also made commitments to the scheme.

Read more from the Journal Of Music here.