Tuesday 12 January 2016

Shock horror! An artist getting paid

The new year has now established itself with a letter from HMRC saying that I must make a profit from my practice in order to continue to receive working tax credits, on which I am currently relying just to keep going.

I spent the end of last year in a blind panic about this. 
The ESA appeal is pending, and everything feels so precarious, and I absolutely hate that.

This week there has been much said about the sudden death of David Bowie.
I always remember a discussion about how Jareth The Goblin King's character was created for The Labyrinth informed how I approached The Unreal God - that isn't how some people interpret it, but maybe they just fall for the rock god narrative....? 
And this video is more postmodern than the ballroom scene in which Sarah is effectively date raped by The Goblin King (who is a manifestation of Der Erlkonig) - and comments abound how women had this for their first dance? That's great if you get married with Stockholm Syndrome.

I remember news of The Labyrinth being remade - now that David has passed away, two things could happen, either The Goblin King could be dead and Toby, for some weird reason is now the heir to the throne, or Bill Nighy could play Jareth. To be honest, I haven't given it much thought beyond that!
Although it could make an interesting piece of art....

And shock horror! An artist is being paid!
Ellie Harrison is being funded to develop a project in Glasgow - which sounds perfect, how things should be for artists.
Here's what a-n wrote in response to the news.

In response to those that will say that there are others not earning the NMW. Yes, hello there, that is me you're talking about, and several of my fellow graduates, who are told to get another job, because artists struggle to get paid just for being an artist! On a zero hours' contract and reliant on working tax credits - which if cut would mean I will become unemployed - who exactly will that help? Certainly not me!

As I have said countless times before, if artists are paid properly, it will free up lots of other jobs for other people seeking work. 

I posted a blog post for the LAN (here) in which there's a link to the Human Rights Act, Article 27, paragraph 2. 


Article 27.
 

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author."


That includes this blog content.