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Cultural, Creative and Collective Recovery: Exploring a Creative Worker Income Guarantee

BOP Consulting was appointed to outline a pilot for a Creative Worker Income Guarantee for Brighton & Hove, working on behalf of the University of Sussex and the ABCD Cultural Recovery Programme. 

Laura Caldow

Senior Consultant

Laura has over 20 years of experience across the cultural sector as a consultant, producer, researcher and creative artist.

Laura Caldow - Senior Consultant | BOP Consulting

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LOCATION

Europe

CLIENT

University of Sussex

SECTOR

Projects Sectors

Brighton and Hove's high living costs, compounded by the pandemic's impact, increasingly are driving creative talents away. Celebrated for its vibrant creative and cultural scene, it now sits at a crossroads, risking the loss of its unique identity without targeted interventions.


Universal Basic Income as an Intervention


Universal Basic Income (UBI) initiatives have been given greater policy attention and emphasis since the Covid-19 pandemic, including for creative workers. Schemes such as the Basic Income for Artists in Ireland, Creatives Rebuild New York's Guaranteed Income Programme, and Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts' Guaranteed Income Pilot for Artists in San Francisco have adopted various approaches to support creative workers through income guarantee schemes. These initiatives, differing in scale, target groups, funding sources, and duration, have all aimed to bolster the financial stability of artists and creative workers under deteriorating conditions. 


However, despite the growing attention towards these Creative Worker Income Guarantee schemes, their implementation is not always straightforward, and the costs can escalate rapidly - raising questions about their feasibility for Brighton and Hove.


A Case for Brighton and Hove


Through our research we explored how a Creative Worker Income Guarantee could directly support individual Brighton creatives, fostering a more diverse, genuinely innovative, creative economy. 


Through our research we explored how a Creative Worker Income Guarantee could directly support individual Brighton creatives, fostering a more diverse, genuinely innovative, creative economy.  Our engagement with the sector told us that a basic income scheme for creative workers could be effective, provided it encompasses four key elements:


  1. The scheme caters to creative professionals at all stages of their careers.

  2. It strikes a balance between targeted support for specific groups and a randomised selection process to ensure fairness.

  3. Includes various stakeholders across the city in its implementation.

  4. Is viewed as an investment into the broader creative sector with social and economic benefits for the city.


However, there are challenges translating this into practice, and the costs of would rapidly become prohibitive. International examples suggest that a large, most likely national, fund would be needed, or the programme would need to be incredibly targeted.


For these reasons it is unsurprising that such programmes have typically been initiated by national governments or in countries with robust philanthropic traditions. However, a pilot programme, informed by this research, could be uniquely tailored to Brighton and Hove's specific context and needs, serving as a much-needed blueprint for wider application.


We are pleased to share the our full paper below, presented on the Brighton Festival panel 'Cultural, Creative and Collective Recovery: Exploring a Creative Worker Income Guarantee’ and since been published by Taylor and Francis. 


Learn more about our research expertise and access the full report below. 


Creative Worker Guarantee

BOP Consulting was appointed to outline a pilot for a Creative Worker Income Guarantee focusing on Brighton & Hove, working on behalf of the University of Sussex and the ABCD Cultural Recovery Programme. 

Project Report

Exploring a Creative Worker Income Guarantee

The report outlines the findings from a major study into the international activity of the Arts Council England-supported cultural ecosystem.

International Activity Report

Arts Council England

BOP Consulting was appointed to outline a pilot for a Creative Worker Income Guarantee for Brighton & Hove, working on behalf of the University of Sussex and the ABCD Cultural Recovery Programme. 

Cultural, Creative and Collective Recovery: Exploring a Creative Worker Income Guarantee

University of Sussex

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Laura Caldow - Senior Consultant | BOP Consulting

Laura Caldow

Senior Consultant

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