Living Wage for Artists

There will always be people who opt of work to pursue a more selfish pursuit – including sitting around and doing nothing – but also artists. And typically these people will find a non-genuine way of receiving a pension or the unemployment benefit.

For artists, and they are a valuable part of society, we propose legitimising their life choice with a living wage and support.

The wage itself would be simple, enough to scrape by on (perhaps $300 per week) that is a set amount for all artists who qualify.

To qualify, they must actively produce works or performances that are artistic in nature. The quality will never be judged or assessed.

Arts will include:

  • writing
  • painting
  • sculpture
  • drama
  • dance
  • virtual
  • music

To qualify:

  • not be regularly employed by anyone as an artist
  • be an actual artist, not in a support or management role
  • not work more than 20 hours per week in non-artistic roles
  • produce artistic work accessible by the public on a regular basis
  • receive help and encouragement from a government appointed mentor

Paid Employment

With no limits on income, artists may not have paid income outside of the arts for more than 20 hours per week. They also cannot be employed in the arts, for example, a singer can have regular gigs at a pub, but they cannot be an employee of the pub.  A writer can be freelance, but not receive more than 80% of their income from a single entity. The rules will vary according to the art in question.

Producing Work / Mentors

Guidelines will be provided for each artistic category, but in general work should be produced on a regular basis. It will not be judged, however mentors will need to verify that genuine effort is being made.

For example, a blogger would be expected to produce weekly output, and monthly for a journalist. A sculptor might only need to produce one significant piece per year.

Mentor’s primary roles would be mentorship and encouragement – and this will be emphasised at all times. However, they would report to Centrelink to verify that the artists are fulfilling their requirements. Mentors will also be overseen and spot-checked.

But Why?

Healthy arts equal healthy society. Many of the people who claim the living wage will already be receiving benefits in a way they are not proud of. Some artists will go on to greatness internationally, to the general benefit of Australia. And in this era of fake news, we need more journalists.

In a future where we expect job opportunities to shrink, even though the overall economy is prosperous, this is the first step in adjusting to that future.

Note: Initial roll-out would be on a limited basis, by lottery from those who show an interest. Lots of adjustments to the initial plan are to be expected as this is a pioneering effort.

Next: Possibilities include athletes (and reduce the spend at the AIS), entrepreneurs (replacing NEIS), farmers, over-55s, parents with 4+ children and full-time workers with registered charities.

Universal Basic Income trials have been happening around the world, but they have been general in nature, focussing on the unemployed or just regular citizens. We believe it can work when specific niches are targeted, like artists. We also understand that this policy might not be popular with conservative voters.