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

You can take part in the online consultation here, from today until it closes on January 27.

The online consultation follows a stakeholder forum on December 15, that saw over 150 participants come together to discuss the proposal.

“I encourage everyone interested to get involved in the online consultation for the Basic Income for the Arts pilot," Minister Martin comments. "Your views will help shape the final design of the pilot when it rolls out in the coming months. 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.”

Minister Martin established the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce in 2020 as a response to the pandemic, to provide a platform for recommendations for the recovery of the sector. The No.1 recommendation of the taskforce was the introduction of a basic income for the arts pilot scheme.

“I have allocated €25m in 2022 for the pilot basic income scheme for the arts," the Minister continues. "This is a key priority for me and my Department. I am determined to ensure that permanent damage is not done to the arts sector from the pandemic and that the basic income pilot scheme helps to ensure that the arts in Ireland come back stronger than ever.”

As part of the online consultation, the general public, artists and those working in the sector are invited to offer suggestions "on key issues such as the schemes objectives, eligibility criteria, supporting emerging artists and participant responsibilities."

The BIA pilot scheme is expected to be launched in the coming months.

📢Your view counts 📢

Minister @cathmartingreen has launched an online consultation on the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot scheme.

The online consultation opens today and closes on 27 January 2022.

ℹ️ Info: https://t.co/hHJKp0a6Y5@culture_ireland @artscouncil_ie pic.twitter.com/gXv0d57V7Q

— Tourism-Culture-Arts-Gaeltacht-Sport-Media (@DeptCulturelRL) January 6, 2022