This morning, Richard Boyd Barrett and People Before Profit Dublin Central by-election candidate, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin were joined in Flux Studios on Chatham Row by Vanessa Fielding, former Director of the Complex arts centre, to announce People Before Profit’s new arts policy – Arts for the People.
Richard Boyd Barrett said:
“Ireland has a rich cultural history of literature, drama, music, and dance, among the many other arts. These are important cultural elements that help us establish our identity.
“Yet our investment in arts and culture is way behind other EU countries. Huge numbers of our artists, actors, musicians, film workers and crews suffer low incomes and insecure employment conditions.
“Frequently artists are unable to create due to lack of funding, lack of affordable housing or space, or due to their difficult economic conditions.
“It is shameful that our artists are neglected, impoverished and often forced to abandon their art. People Before Profit commit to major increases in funding for the arts and to ensure artists have adequate incomes to live and create, and can access spaces for their art.”
Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin said:
“Dublin has lost dozens of artists’ studios in the past decade. The closure of The Complex alone wiped out 18 artists’ studios and a major cultural venue that had become an institution in the north inner city.
“Dublin’s arts and cultural sector is being pushed to the brink. The places that make this city creative, vibrant and alive are being pushed out in favour of profit-driven development.
“People Before Profit’s arts policy provides solutions that are both radical in vision and practical in nature. These are solutions that would provide artists with the income they need to live and flourish; the infrastructure they need to create and show their art, and the funding that ensures art is accessible for all.”
Key Arts for the People policy demands:
Pay Artists Properly
● Expand the Basic Income for the Arts so all eligible artists can access it for as long as they need. Increase it to €375 a week.
● Introduce living wage rates for artists
Make Space for the Arts
● Legislate for low-cost “meanwhile” use of vacant premises and faster compulsory purchase by councils of long term vacant and derelict properties
● Reinstate 5% space for arts, culture and community spaces, including live/workspaces for artists, in new developments
● Fund local councils to renovate and fit out vacant spaces for artists, arts and cultural uses
● Cap rents at a quarter of household income
Make Arts Affordable
● Free entry for under-25s, disabled people and carers and a free day every month in all publicly supported venues
● End the Ticketmaster rip off - establish a not-for-profit publicly-owned ticketing agency
Support the Arts at Night
● Extend permitted opening hours to 5am for late night venues, with free 24-hour public transport
Fund the Arts
● Increase government funding for arts and culture by 50% in the short term; double it in the medium term
● Expand the definition of arts eligible for state funding to include comedy and other creative art forms
Download full policy here: https://www.pbp.ie/policies/arts-policy-arts-for-the-people/