Following a review of the pilot social protection scheme for writers and visual artists, the Government has announced its extension to professional performing artists. The extension of the scheme will now see the inclusion of actors, musicians, street performers, dancers and other artists whose professional status will be designated by the fact that a minimum of 50%
of their income is generated through their professional work. For the first time these earnings can also include teaching within their profession.

Irish Equity supports this initiative as a positive step forward on the path to recognition of the professional status and value of performing artists in Ireland. However, a broader discussion about the working lives of artists and their capacity to have longevity and dignity in their careers is now needed. The way to truly value artists is to ensure they can make a secure living from their work and that means the development of a basic income scheme for these professionals.

Photo from left to right: Stephen Spence, Equity UK with Padraig Murray and Karan OLoughlin, Irish Equity and Louis Rolston, Equity UK (right), outside Liberty Hall for the recent Equity Ireland/ Equity UK Action Group meeting.

Musician David Kitt says he was being forced to leave because he can’t afford it anymore

Musician David Kitt is quitting Ireland, claiming it is too expensive to live in the country anymore. Kitt says he has no choice given that the Dublin house in which he lives is being sold as part of a portfolio to a consortium of European investors. “I do think it is sad that so many creative/artistic/bright people are being forced to leave this city and the country in general.” He blamed Fine Gael who he said are “failing this city and its people massively. And Dublin’s heart and soul is being ripped out and sold to the highest bidder.”

The Irish Times would like to hear from readers on the issue. Do you think Dublin and other cities and towns around Ireland have become too expensive for artists, musicians and other creatives to live and work? Is the cultural vibrancy of the city being lost as a result? If you are working in a creative industry, have you had to leave Dublin, or Ireland, to make a living? Or are you, like Kitt, planning to leave? How would you fix the problem? Are there examples of better functioning systems where you live now that could be adopted by Ireland?

You can contribute (max 300 words) using this form. Please include a few lines about yourself – where you are from originally, when you emigrated and why, where you live now and what you do there – and attach a photograph if you have one.

A selection of responses may be published in the Irish Times, or passed to a journalist who may wish to contact you for more information.

On July 9th, Minister of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan TD launched Gender Equality in Practice in Irish Theatre at the Lir National Academy of Dramatic Arts at Trinity College, Dublin.

The gender equality policies of 10 theatre companies have been crafted to encompass the individual workings and requirements of the ten organisations and to acknowledge that it is vital that women’s voices are allowed are heard on stage, across the cultural sector and across society as a whole. This is a joint promise to address and rebalance the gender equality deficiencies within Irish theatre and the documents launched today include the following policy commitments;

1. Gender blind readings for plays
2. Unconscious bias training for all staff
3. Achieve equality of gender of board members
4. 50% of a new play commissions to be allocated to women writers
5. Gender blind casting
6. Addition of Dignity at Work clauses to employees charter
7. Re-examination of the female canon 
8. Work with third level institution to encourage gender parity in areas that do not reflect equality of gender.
9. To achieve gender balance in programming within a 5 year period.

This work is the culmination of the process that started with the Waking the Feminists movement in 2015. The 10 organisations involved in this sectoral collaboration are The Abbey Theatre, Cork Midsummer Festival, The Corn Exchange, Druid Theatre, The Everyman, Dublin Theatre Festival, Fishamble: The New Play Company, The Gate Theatre, The Lir Academy, Rough Magic Theatre Company. Information on the policies can be found on the individual company websites or at http://www.wakingthefeminists.org/

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has expressed its abhorrence of the massacre of innocent Palestinian protestors in Gaza today (May 14).

Speaking on behalf of the Congress Global Solidarity Committee, David Joyce said: “Our thoughts are with the dead and injured and their families. Up to 52 people were killed, according to numbers from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, including five children under 18 years of age.

“They were murdered by Israeli forces as they protested the opening of the United States’ embassy in Jerusalem.“In addition almost 2000 people were injured – more than 900 of those with live ammunition. This is a shameless violation of international law and the Israeli authorities show no signs that they intend to rein in such excessive force.

“Today’s shootings are a continuation of killings that have taken place since the Great Return March started on March 30, with more than 100 Palestinians now dead & over 13,000 wounded by Israeli occupation forces,” Mr Joyce said.

He called on the Irish Government to strongly condemn the Israeli actions and lead the way in both the EU and the UN, in calling for an independent investigation and to hold the Israeli Government to account.

“The fact that today’s events occurred with the eyes of the world on Jerusalem shows the contempt that Israel has for the international community and the impunity with which it violates international law.

“The Congress Global Solidarity Committee demands that today’s events must also lead to renewed international pressure on Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza and end Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.

“The suggestion that Ireland should follow the example of the US and move its embassy to Jerusalem should also be treated with the contempt it deserves.

“Today’s events show the need for more action by Ireland in its own right and Congress now calls on all political parties in the Oireachtas to support the urgent passing of Senator Frances Black’s Occupied Territories Bill,” Mr Joyce concluded.