CALL FOR MEMBERS: ARTISTS’ UNION OF IRELAND
Do we need a trade union for artists in Ireland?
Artists are working in increasingly precarious conditions in Ireland. We are desperately lacking adequate government funding, cultural spaces and facilities, fair remuneration rates, and appropriate workplace protections. These conditions spur emigration and create unacceptable barriers to entry. We are familiar with the issues and discuss them often – but is it time to take collective action?
The Artists’ Union of Ireland is a one-month experiment to test the potential of a trade union model to fight issues in the arts in Ireland. Members will be asked to commit to one meeting per week in A4 Sounds, Dublin, where they will:
| 11th February | 3pm – 5pm | Choose and issue to take action on. |
| 18th February | 3pm – 5pm | Plan the action |
| 25th February | 3pm – 5pm | Stage the action |
| 3rd March | 3pm – 5pm | Reflect – does the model work and can it continue? |
The experiment will be facilitated by artist Kerry Guinan in association with A4 Sounds’ 2020 artistic programme We Only Want the Earth, which aims to interrogate the goals and strategies of social change.
Members from all artistic disciplines are welcome. For the purpose of this experiment, anyone studying or working as a professional artist is eligible for membership.
We invite you to sign up via the form below.
