Artists With Benefits: Recent Episodes
Chris Bilton, Martin Bright, Simon Sharkey, Bard Kleppe
Artists With Benefits considers how the benefits system could support a fairer, more sustainable creative economy. The pandemic laid bare the precarity of creative work for freelance artists and the difficulties for young people starting out on a creative career, especially those from working class backgrounds and minorities. In this podcast we consider potential solutions, using the benefits system to level playing field. Guests from England and Scotland consider the options, from from universal basic income to mutual schemes, paid internships and education programmes.
Live panel discussion of issues raised in previous episodes about creative work - with Heidi Ashton (University of Warwick), Stephen Brown (Musicians Union) and Mags Patten (Arts Council England) and guests. Including discussion of universal basic income, the 'intermittent' system for supporting French artists during periods of unemployment, the role of trade unions, hyperlocal ensembles. Who will benefit from policies designed to make creative work fairer - and who decides who will benefit?
Episode 2 of Artists with Benefits looks at possible solutions to the problems of inequality and precarity in the creative workforce, drawing on experiences in England, Scotland and Norway. How could the benefits system help to plug some of the gaps? We consider mutual schemes and collective risk management, job creation and apprenticeships, a change in 'Job Centre Culture', investing in legacy projects and hyper-local grassroots cultural activities.
The first episode of Artists with Benefits looks at the gap between the old benefits system and the new reality of the gig economy. Freelance artists have suffered in the pandemic, and the stark realities of starting out and surviving in a creative career have been laid bare. In this first episode we compare our experiences of creative work in England, Scotland and Norway, and ask if the benefits system could help to level the playing field.