Clare Fm - Podcasts

A Clare artist claims her sector is "at a crossroads" and is calling for an extension of the Basic Income for the Arts scheme. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport has published a report based on two years of data which reveals the experience of the 2,000 recipients of the pilot scheme launched in 2022. Among the findings are that recipients were able to spend more time on their arts practice, reported higher financial investment in their arts practice and were able to produce more pieces of work than the control group. A total of 54 people currently in receipt of the weekly payment are living in Clare, and Lahinch-based artist Maeve Stone, who's a member of the National Campaign for the Arts Steering Committee, says a decision must be made on its future ahead of Budget 2026.