By Siobhan Maguire
Following the launch of the Basic Income for Artists (BIA) scheme in Ireland, Musicians in Northern Ireland are calling for a change. The new BIA scheme has created a basic income of €325 per week that music artists can apply for to fund their work. But in comparison, there is a significant difference in the amount of funding a musician can receive in Northern Ireland.
Paul MacKinnon, also known as Acid Goose, is a musician who lived in Belfast for 2 years before moving back to his homeplace of Donegal. He says that he would like to see a similar scheme put in place in Northern Ireland to what has been introduced in the Republic.
“I think that Northern Ireland doesn’t offer as much support as it could for artists. Working a day job is realistically the only way to stay afloat.”
“The cost of being in a band and trying to produce my own stuff really brought me down. Renting rehearsal spaces and the cost of travel wasn’t really covered by gigs.” “If you’re working 5 days a week and coming home to create music, it can be pretty exhausting. I think the extra funding would help with creating less mental pressure on artists trying to maintain two lives, and let them focus a bit more on the actual music.”
Paul takes care of all of his own social media and marketing, and says that trying to make a name for yourself is getting more and more difficult with the lack of support for smaller artists.
“I’m trying to make my music into more of a business to give me a bit more passive income. All of the work is done by me at the moment. Trying to get an advisor to help with the business or a producer to help master the music isn’t affordable for me right now so I have to save up for all of that. Being a musician is a very slow process without money.”
The Music Venue Trust is the main organisation campaigning to keep music venues alive in Northern Ireland, aiming to secure and improve music venues and help artists get gigs. According to the charity’s open letter to the UK government in regard to changes announced to the Business Rates system at the Budget, the tax increase for operators of venues will outweigh any benefit gained by running the venue and will result in the eventual shutdown of hundreds of Grassroots music spaces. Ticket prices for gigs will also increase, making it more inaccessible for people to attend. The organisation has called for an immediate 40% Business Rates Relief for their venues. Film studios in England had already been granted the same relief in 2025, lasting until 2034. Lack of funding and the closure of music venues is a UK-wide issue, with venues in Scotland and Wales also struggling to keep their doors open.
Organisations like Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast and the UK Musicians Union are helping to showcase the musical talent of Northern Ireland, helping to promote the music scene and aid artists in making a living from their craft. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland already supplies some funding for individual artists, but these consist of bursaries and awards instead of a consistent income.
With the recent vote to shutter the Boucher Road Playing Fields, one of Northern Ireland’s biggest music venues, concerns are rising steadily for the music scene in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is estimated to lose £10 million per weekend with the closure of the concert venue, but there is hope that this profit can be made through sports events held at the new pitches being constructed.
