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Although artists’ livelihoods depend on their agency and capacity to create and capitalise on their social and economic assets, there’s an inevitable — and unenviable — struggle between the intrinsic motivations underpinning their art practices and the ‘small business’ expectations of a self-employed status.
Read “Do artists’ livelihoods matter?” in full
The basis for artists’ livelihoods is holding agency and capacity to create and capitalise on their economic and social assets. But as this text shows, it’s the eternal struggle between the intrinsic motivations driving art practices and the “small business” expectations attached to self-employment status that is root cause of their continually precarious situation.
Read “Artists' livelihoods: my essential reads” in full
Policy and many of the programmes intended to be supportive of artists’ development and careers may lack insight into the nuance of artists’ lives and how they pursue art practices. By collating data from a range of authoritative sources, this new independently produced resource provides a demographic and economic profile of artists as an aid to those committed to aiding artists’ to survive and (maybe even) to thrive, a bit.
Read “Demographics and economics of artists” in full
Podcast discussion with Owen Kelly and Sophie Hope in the MIAAW series exploring the impossible infrastructure for artists’ practices and livelihoods.
Read “The impossible arts infrastructure” in full
In conversation with Art Monthly’s Chris McCormack, Susan Jones considers the implications for artists trying to make a living from art practices in an “impossible arts infrastructure”.
Read “Mission impossible?” in full
This presentation addresses the problematic conditions for artists’ practices and lives that define and confine their contributions to contemporary visual arts and society. The aim is to inform sectoral and political discussions on future remedial policy interventions, strategies and infrastructures that ameliorate barriers to artists’ multiple contributions and secure their social and economic status.
Read “Turning the tables: strategies for artists’ equity” in full
An independent review demonstrating the severe impacts of the pandemic on the social and economic circumstances of visual artists reveals the divergent perspectives at national and local levels in England about what artists and the arts are for, and on how and where future arts policy should be made and implemented.
Read “Grassroots call for radical change” in full
Analysis of the plight of visual artists during Covid-19 illuminates the working conditions of a chronically under-examined sub-section of cultural labour. It demonstrates the severity of pandemic impacts on visual artists’ social and economic circumstances, including from inappropriate criteria for accessing government and Arts Council England emergency measures. A central concern is consideration of how arts policies might better acknowledge and account in future arts infrastructures for the distinctive, diverse social contributions of this workforce element. The commentary reveals a stark contrast between ambitions at national and local levels about what artists and the arts are for, and where and how arts policy should be made and implemented. It evidences an emerging grassroots appetite for a dramatic shift from current hierarchical patterns driven by national imperatives to nuanced, localised infrastructures that can ensure artists’ multiple talents and assets contribute fully to social and economic change for the better within communities.
Read “Cracking up: the pandemic effect on visual artists’ livelihoods” in full
The term artist-led organisation encompasses a diverse and complex range of artists’ activities and philosophical stances, including studio groups of all sizes, gallery spaces, groups concerned with community action, others focused on creating networks or increasing markets for their work, campaigning associations and practice-led artists’ collectives that generate collaborative art in public places.
Read “Roles and reasons: the scope and value of artist-led organisations” in full
A new qualitative, longitudinal study surprisingly demonstrates how the lives and artistic prospects of many visual artists improved in pandemic conditions and by doing so, provides clues to the infrastructural shifts needed to honour and sustain the talents and vibrancy of this diverse constituency in future.
Read “Telling tales: artists' pandemic stories” in full
