International Evidence — overview & impact

!pull “Arts Basic Income isn’t a subsidy; it’s a public investment in creative freedom and cultural value.”

1) Executive summary (what the evidence shows)

2) What pilots measure (and why it matters)

• Creative time: weekly hours for making, research, rehearsal.
• Wellbeing: anxiety, depression, material deprivation, care balance.
• Economic activity: spending on materials/equipment/spaces; finished works.
• Community impact: collaboration, participation, audiences.
• Admin & access: simplicity, real reach.

These indicators explain how income stability strengthens processes and why public value grows.

3) Results by case (selected)

🇮🇪 Ireland — Basic Income for the Arts (BIA)

• Payment: €325/week (~€1,300/month) to 2,000 artists; RCT with control group.
• +11 h/week in practice; −15–16 pp depression/anxiety; higher output (14 pp more likely to complete new work).
• Reinvestment: ~€250/month more on materials, equipment, and workspaces.
• Estimated SROI: > €100M in social benefits; ~€1.39 per €1 of public funding. ^{1 2}
• Policy status: the Government announced BIA will become permanent from 2026 (initially ~2,000 recipients, with potential expansion). ²

🇺🇸 New York — Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY)

• Payment: $1,000/month for 18 months to 2,400 artists (need-focused).
• +19% hours in practice; −29% severe anxiety/depression; −19% food insecurity.
• Care & equity: 75% of artists with caregiving duties report better balance. ^{3 4}

🇺🇸 San Francisco — Guaranteed Income for Artists (SF-GIPA)

• Payment: $1,000/month (18 months), equity-centered design.
• Consistent pattern: stability → continuity of practice and improved wellbeing. ⁵

🇩🇪 Germany — Universal Basic Income (long-term pilot)

• Payment: €1,200/month (3 years, general sample).
• Does not disincentivize work; improves mental health and training/employment decisions. ⁶

4) Visual (quick & clear)

5) Implications for Spain

• The missing pillar of the Artist’s Statute: a stable income base to plan, contribute to Social Security, and produce.
• Compatibility with Social Security (RETA), commissions, prizes, grants.
• 24–36 months evaluation (time, wellbeing, reinvestment, output, community), with independent oversight.
• Transparent criteria + territorial quotas for diversity and balance.
• Need filter (income threshold) + random selection among eligibles for rigor and equity.

6) Myths vs. facts (in 4 lines)

• “People will stop working.”
  ✖ Evidence shows more artistic work and output (BIA, CRNY, UBI).
• “It’s welfare.”
  ✖ Results point to social return (SROI) and indirect health savings.
• “It won’t reach those in need.”
  ✔ Designs with a need filter + lottery ensure focus and diversity.
• “It creates bureaucracy.”
  ✖ Regular payments + streamlined evaluation reduce red tape.

7) Documents & further reading

• Proposal for Spain → /en/spain-proposal
• Argument & FAQ → /en/argument
• Archive (full sources) → /en/archive
• Infographic (visual synthesis) → /en/infographic

Method notes and primary docs in the Archive.

8) Key sources

• Government of Ireland — Pilot Research Scheme (BIA), official docs and reports: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/publications/basic-income-for-the-arts-pilot-research-scheme-2022-2026/
• Gov.ie press note (benefits > €100M; SROI ≈ 1.39): https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-culture-communications-and-sport/press-releases/basic-income-for-the-arts-pilot-produced-over-100-million-in-social-and-economic-benefits/
• CRNY — Impact: https://www.creativesrebuildny.org/research/gi-research/impact/
• SF-GIPA (YBCA): https://ybca.org/guaranteed-income-for-artists/
• Germany (UBI long-term study): https://www.frankfurt-school.de/en/home/newsroom/news/2025/April/Langzeitstudie-Grundeinkommen.html