{"id":2861,"date":"2023-03-24T07:51:02","date_gmt":"2023-03-24T14:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/?p=2861"},"modified":"2023-03-24T07:51:05","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T14:51:05","slug":"artists-guaranteed-income-and-how-to-do-arts-policy-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2023\/03\/artists-guaranteed-income-and-how-to-do-arts-policy-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Artists’ guaranteed income, and how to do arts policy analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The New York Times<\/em> reports on how the Irish experiment in giving some randomly selected artists a small guaranteed income<\/a> (while also observing a control group of artists not included in the program) is going:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Lydia Mulvey, 47, a screenwriter, said that she quit her job in a telecommunications firm as soon as she heard she\u2019d made it into the program. Now she spends her time writing pilot scripts for thrillers and sci-fi shows, rather than trying to squeeze that into evenings and weekends. \u201cI knew it\u2019d be transformative and give me my life back,\u201d Mulvey said, although she added that, if she didn\u2019t already own her own home, she\u2019d struggle to live on such a low income, especially in Ireland\u2019s squeezed property market<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark McGuinness, 31, a photographer, said that before receiving the basic income he had spent the whole week seeking commercial photography work to pay his rent and the cost of supplies, and had let his artistic practice slip away. Now, he\u2019d \u201cclawed back\u201d two days a week to make work for exhibitions, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite anecdotal evidence of success, no data on the program\u2019s impact is available so far. Ireland\u2019s government is sending recipients questionnaires every six months that ask about the state of their finances, artistic career and health, with the first scheduled to go out in April. Last year, those taking part received a survey to collect baseline data. It asked if they could adequately heat their homes, replace worn furniture or \u201cafford a meal with meat, chicken or fish every second day.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How this turns out will be interesting. But …<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would we expect that artists who were chosen for the scheme get a chance to make more art? Of course. It is an income effect that gives artists some room to substitute out of humdrum day-jobs, and for at least some, this is bound<\/em> to lead to more time for art-making. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But policy analysis needs something more. Generally we assess a policy intervention by first asking (1) what is the desired outcome? and then (2) what are the most effective means to achieve that outcome? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the desired outcome (among many<\/em> possible policy goals of arts policy – increased arts participation by audiences, for example) is “more and better art produced by Irish artists” then we would go to the next step of asking how we most effectively get there, which could include a lot of options, including the more traditional one of peer-reviewed selection of grant recipients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, there will be a long way to go before we can assess whether this is actually an effective use of arts policy funds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The New York Times reports on how the Irish experiment in giving some randomly selected artists a small guaranteed income (while also observing a control group of artists not included in the program) is going: Lydia Mulvey, 47, a screenwriter, said that she quit her job in a telecommunications firm as soon as she heard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2862,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2861","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-issues","8":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3dIW5-K9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3107,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2024\/10\/how-should-we-evaluate-guaranteed-income-for-artists\/","url_meta":{"origin":2861,"position":0},"title":"How should we evaluate guaranteed income for artists?","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"October 2, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Back in the day, I took a few years leave from academia to work in the public service, as a policy advisor to the Cabinet of the government of the province of Saskatchewan. We would receive from various line departments proposals for policy changes or new initiatives, and a large\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/image-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3671,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2024\/12\/on-the-ingratitude-of-artists-receiving-a-guaranteed-income-from-a-benefactor\/","url_meta":{"origin":2861,"position":1},"title":"On the ingratitude of artists receiving a guaranteed income from a benefactor","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"December 11, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"(\u201cVanessa Bell in a Deckchair\u201d by Roger Fry) From Robert Skidelsky,\u00a0John Maynard Keynes 1883-1946, Economist, Philosopher, Statesman: The autumn of 1925 found Keynes, as usual, complaining of overwork (\u2018too much to do, no leisure, no peace, too much to think about\u2026\u2019). A substantial commitment was organising the London Artists\u2019 Association,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-4.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-4.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-4.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-4.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-4.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-4.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2669,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2021\/05\/the-wpa-is-history\/","url_meta":{"origin":2861,"position":2},"title":"The WPA is history","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"May 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"New York City has announced a new (well, sort of) arts program. Hyperallergic reports: The City of New York will put some artists to work this summer with a $25 million program inspired by the New Deal\u2019s Works Progress Administration (WPA). Announced yesterday, May 6, the recovery program will pay\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/depression.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/depression.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/depression.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/depression.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4636,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2026\/01\/cultural-policy-what-dont-we-know\/","url_meta":{"origin":2861,"position":3},"title":"Cultural policy: what don’t we know","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"January 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"This past week I\u2019ve been sent different, interesting takes on the state of cultural policy research. My friend James Doeser, who is very smart about these things, has a short post \u201cThe crisis of cultural policy in the 21st century\u201d that is well worth your time (update: here is James's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4615,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2025\/11\/ai-and-artists-and-rights\/","url_meta":{"origin":2861,"position":4},"title":"AI and artists and rights","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"November 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"There is a recent piece at Lawfare, by Simon Goldstein and Peter N. Salib, \u201cCopyright should not protect artists from artificial intelligence.\u201d The article has the strawman subtitle, \u201cThe purpose of intellectual property law is to incentivize the production of new ideas, not to function as a welfare scheme for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-2.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1570,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/10\/tax-deductions-for-artists\/","url_meta":{"origin":2861,"position":5},"title":"Tax deductions for artists (updated)","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"October 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The New York Times reports on a court case involving whether an artist working for salary as teaching faculty can claim tax deductions of artist's expenses (for supplies, travel, meals, etc) in excess of profits earned on sales of art. My understanding of this (tax people please correct me if\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"operates at a loss","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Goat.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2861"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2863,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2861\/revisions\/2863"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}