Offaly groups appeal to govt to extend Artists’ Income scheme

A NUMBER of Birr groups have written a letter to members of the government and TDs appealing for the extension of the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) scheme.
The Government’s BIA pilot scheme, which provided a weekly payment of €325 to artists and creative workers, is concluding its research phase in August. The scheme has shown positive impacts on artists’ well-being and creative practice. However many artists involved in the scheme and many who support it are worried what decision the government will make in August. The government will decide on whether to continue it or expand it.
Birr 20:20, Birr Creative Court, Birr Theatre and Birr Festivals Collective has sent the following letter to TDs and Ministers:
“We are writing on behalf of Birr 20/20, Birr Creative Court, Birr Theatre & Arts Centre, and the Birr Festivals Collective to voice our strong support for the extension and expansion of the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot scheme and ask for your representation on our behalf.
Initiated under the leadership of Minister Catherine Martin, this groundbreaking program represents a vital acknowledgment of the invaluable contribution that artists make to our society, culture, and the economy.
As organisers and facilitators of cultural programming in the Midlands, we witness daily the vital impact of artists on our local community. In Birr alone, five major annual festivals – including the long-established Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival – are at the heart of our tourism, economy, and community spirit. These festivals foster a unique sense of place and identity that would not exist without the talent, creativity, and tireless work of local and national artists and art workers.
Our local artists engage meaningfully across all sectors of the community – from schools to hospitals – enriching lives across all ages and abilities. The BIA scheme recognises both the economic precarity faced by many artists and the essential, often invisible, work they do. It is already showing positive outcomes for those selected and their communities.
This pilot scheme is due to end in August 2025 and an evaluation process is to begin. We believe that extending and continuing payments during the evaluation period would send a clear and powerful message: that the Government sees this not as a temporary initiative, but as a long-term commitment to the health and sustainability of Ireland’s creative sector.
Furthermore, maintaining and expanding the scheme (from August 2025) would:
Enhance the quality and scope of the ongoing data collection.
Affirm the Government’s intention to support all artists.
Allow Ireland to continue producing world-class work across all art forms.
We respectfully urge you, our elected representatives, to make urgent representations within your parties and in Government. For independent representatives, we ask that you raise this issue in your parliamentary work and advocate strongly for a full extension and future expansion of the Basic Income for the Arts.
Your support at this critical time can make a meaningful difference to the future of the arts in our region and across the country.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the arts and for your attention to this important matter.
Yours sincerely,
The Directors of Birr 20/20 Vision & Birr Creative Court
https://birr2020vision.ie/
The Board of Birr Theatre & Arts Centre
https://www.birrtheatre.
com/
The Director of Birr Festivals Collective
https://www.birrvintage
week.com/
https://offlinefilmfestival.
com/
https://www.birrfestival
ofmusic.com/
https://www.scriptsireland.
com/
https://www.hullabaloo
festival.ie/