A move to have artists paid in an equitable manner for work done on behalf of Waterford County Council won support at the recent meeting of Lismore Town Council.

Cllr Ken Madden raised the matter, soliciting support from members for a request sent by the director of Lismore Castle Arts, Eamonn Maxwell, to the Culture and Heritage SPC of Waterford County Council calling on them to adopt a new policy to pay, in an equitable manner, artists in all art forms undertaking work on their behalf and that of their  institutions.  It was also asked that they put in place a further policy requiring organisations and groups applying for funding from them to show that artists employed as part of the applicant’s projects, are paid in an equitable manner, as a condition of funding being granted.

“The figures don’t lie,” Cllr Madden told his colleagues as he urged them to support the call.  He was referring to figures they’d received showing an alarming downturn in income for visual artists in Ireland since 2008. Those said to earn less than €10,000 from creative work had risen from 67% to 83%.  The number who earned less than €10,000 from creative and non-creative work had jumped from 33% to 64% and the number who had signed on for unemployment benefit had risen from 30%in 2011 to 57% this year.

Cllr Madden proposed writing to the SPC offering their support. Cllr John Heneghan had a concern though. Pointing out that the council has an arts budget and that Ballyduff Drama and Spraoi get allocations from it, he wondered, if hundreds of artists were to apply, would it dilute the available funds. He said it was open to different interpretations. The sentiment was fine, but it seemed very ‘rigid’ to him.

Cllr Madden explained that if artists were exhibiting, doing something specific for the county council, their expenses would be covered. It’s more that specific artists are paid in an equitable manner.  In that case, Cllr Heneghan said, he’d second it. “The budget for arts is tiny anyway,” he commented.