The pilot is set to open for applications early this year and will be available for artists and creative arts workers to support their practices.

Today, Catherine Martin TD, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has launched an online consultation on the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot scheme to achieve an insight of the views of artists, those working in the arts and culture sector and the public.

Those who take part in the consultation will get the chance to shape the final design of the pilot as it rolls out in the next few months. The online consultation opens today and is available for response here until the consultation closes on 27 January 2022.

Minister Catherine Martin previously announced that she had allocated allocated 25 million euro in funding for the 2022 pilot basic income scheme for the arts.

The purpose of the online consultation is to ensure that the general public, artists and those working in the arts and culture sector have the opportunity to contribute to the policy development for the pilot scheme and to offer suggestions from their experiences on key issues such as eligibility criteria, supporting emerging artists and participant responsibilities.

The Minister commented on the launch of the online consultation: “This is a once-in-a-generation policy intervention, a measure that I believe will redraw the landscape for the arts for hopefully many years to come. Our culture and the arts are a fundamental expression of who we are as a nation.”

“Our rich cultural heritage is one of our greatest assets, and our artists weave a sense of identity, creativity and belonging into the fabric of our communities. The intrinsic societal value of culture and the arts was particularly evident during the pandemic, where it provided colour, light and hope in uncertain times.”

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