This blog post was written by Trustee, Anna Selwood, on April 15th 2026.
I joined Basic Income Network Scotland as a Trustee, last year, with the aim of initiating a series of conversations to explore a basic income for artists in Scotland.
Inspired by the success of the Irish pilot, I felt the time was right for action but I didn’t know how to go about it until I came across the Basic Income Conversation Toolkit.
Recent evidence from Ireland’s Basic Income for the Arts pilot found that artists receiving regular unconditional payments spent more time creating new work and reported improved wellbeing. Independent evaluation found that the scheme returned more than it cost, generating an estimated €1.39 for every €1 invested through increased economic activity, spending and sectoral retention.
For context, I have worked in theatre, opera and the film industry so have personal experience of the financial insecurity that goes with freelance working in the creative industries. I have family and friends who are artists, musicians, film professionals and, now, as a Careers Consultant working in a university I support students and graduates who hope to pursue creative careers.
Joining BINS enabled me to collaborate with Cleo Goodman and Lena Swedlow who developed the Basic Income Conversation Toolkit. They are experienced basic income campaigners and their passion for hosting these conversations is energising.
To date we have hosted four Basic Income Conversations for Artists in Edinburgh, Glasgow and online. A further five, programmed by Creative Renfrewshire and Creative Dundee, are coming up.
More than 300 people registered to attend but we’ve had nearly 18,000 views of the event listings! The range of artists and arts organisations that have participated has been fantastic and the subsequent meetings that have taken place are exciting. Momentum is definitely gathering; ahead of the Holyrood elections the performing arts and entertainment trade union, Equity, has called on MSP candidates to sign a pledge to support a Basic Income for Scottish Artists in the next Scottish parliament and the SNP has pledged to roll out a new “minimum income” for Scotland’s writers, musicians, filmmakers, playwrights, comics and visual artists if it returns to power after the Holyrood election.
We need your help to host more basic income conversations with artists across Scotland. We’re a small team of volunteers so our reach is limited. Help us ensure a wide range of voices are represented.
A Basic Income Conversation is a structured, facilitated discussion that helps people explore what basic income is, what it could mean in their lives, and what role they might play in moving the idea forward.
Download the Basic Income Conversation for Artists Toolkit – it provides everything you need:
- Practical resources to help you bring people together.
- A structure for the Conversation.
- Templates for a presentation and graphics to share the date, time and location of your event.
- Access to a Whatsapp community of supportive people you can ask questions, celebrate successes and share insights with.
If you’re not quite ready to host a Conversation, no problem:
- Follow Basic Income for Artists Scotland on Instagram.
- Sign up for updates.
- Sign up for the Basic Income Network Scotland newsletter.
Conversation is a political act — especially at a time when so many people feel unheard.