Artists Unbound

This research will be focused on how a basic income for artists can be implemented by looking at a specific case study, Creatives Rebuild New York. This case study is presented in the context of a focus group/a roundtable meeting with stakeholders from the Dutch cultural system, do be able to discuss possibilities of bringing this context to a European wireframe. This study also answers questions regarding the possible changes that the implementation of a basic income for artists would bring to their motivation to create, the changes that happened in the artistic ecosystem in New York, but also possible changes in the Dutch system. To reach an answer the following concepts will be discussed: basic income, motivation, creativity, post-work society, and cultural policy. The methods that are used to gather empirical data will be qualitative, more precisely semi-structured interviews and a focus group. The interviews that have been conducted with CRNY stakeholders gathered data on the way the pilot has functioned, the roles of different stakeholders and companies in the program, and the changes brought on artists’ motivation, creativity, and the market. The focus group consists of Dutch cultural stakeholders that hold similar roles as the ones interviewed in the New York pilot for artistic basic income. All the data was analyzed using Thematic Analysis and creating the themes of the interview after the collection process. As a preliminary conclusion, the introduction of a basic income for artists will be beneficial for the work-life ethic that artists currently have, will bring greater support to live a secure and healthy life, and will push them to create more innovative art, will foster community building and more. But it is not all positive, as it is challenging to implement on bigger levels, it is challenging to advocate for such an income in the public eye, and can lead to problems like gentrified areas in large cities.