Survey on the Living and Working Conditions of Artists

In 2019 Leitrim County Council developed a survey to capture what being an artist in the region looks like for everyone, from those fresh out of college to those that have an established career. 

This information demonstrated to us what living and working as an artist in the region was like. It told us about your career progression, your ability to make a living, and your overall work-life balance and well being. From the survey we developed statistics that supported us to advocate for artists and allowed us to learn what practical actions Leitrim County Council could take to make living and working as an artist in rural Ireland more sustainable.

There has been an enormous amount of change in the last five years, which included Covid-19 and the government's response to the pandemic, the Artists Basic Income Pilot Scheme, Creative Ireland programmes, and higher costs of living and difficulties in accessing affordable accommodation. So now, in 2025 we wish to issue the survey once more to ascertain what changes have happened for artists in the last five years, and to understand what the conditions are like for artists now.

Having this data is crucially important right now as the Artists Basic Income Pilot Scheme comes to an end and the government considers what next steps it will take to support the sustainability of artists’ careers in the long term. The results will also support us to refine the actions Leitrim County Council can take to make living and working as an artist in rural Ireland more sustainable. The survey will take 20 minutes. Responses are anonymous however if you would like to get in touch we would be delighted to hear from you. Thank you in advance for your time and support in this work, it is very much appreciated.

We look forward to hearing your responses.