Musicians and artists rise up over ‘upskill’ proposal
MUSICIANS and artists will not be asked to retrain or upskill, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has told the Irish Mail on Sunday.
‘I never have, nor I never will, ask members of our arts community to retrain or re-skill.
‘Members of the Arts and Music industry were among the first to lose their employment because of the pandemic.
‘As a former Minister for Arts and Culture, I know how hard the last 16 months have been for our artists.
‘That’s why I have put in place a range of supports, such as a disregard for self-employed people on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) up to €960 over an eight-week period.’
It comes after emails were sent out last week to musicians and artists in receipt of the PUP, containing suggestions on how to upskill and change careers.
The emails were seen by many as an attempt by the Government to force them to retrain in other industries if they wish to retain their PUP payments.
The Government has been closely associated with a series of high-profile outdoor ‘reopening’ concerts, among them the concert by James Vincent McMorrow at the Iveagh Gardens last week.
A pilot concert headlined by Christy Moore will also take place in Killarney next Saturday. However, the emails threaten to end the Government’s honeymoon with Ireland’s artistic community.
Members of an umbrella group, Irish Music Industry Stands Up, a 4,000-strong alliance of musicians and event industry workers, reacted with particular fury.
Comments on the letters, which ironically arrived a day after the high-profile Iveagh Gardens relaunch, were scathing.
One musician wrote on the group’s Facebook page: ‘Following yesterday’s Iveagh Gardens PR fiasco pilot gig, music industry professionals on the PUP, who’re being prevented from working, wake up to this email advising how to “change careers, retrain or upskill”.’
Musician Mark Graham of the King Kong Company band and a teacher of music technology at Waterford Institute of Technology, told the Irish Mail on Sunday that musicians were ‘deeply suspicious’ of the Government’s true intent.
‘The timing of this email the day after the Iveagh Gardens was more than suspicious. The Iveagh
Gardens looks like a diversion. Videos of Catherine Martin dancing…
‘Then the morning after that gig in the Iveagh Gardens, music professionals get an email from Employment Support Services – we used to call it the dole – saying you have to retrain. It was at best, unfortunate timing.’
Musicians are also critical of what one source termed ‘an excess of spin over substance in the Department of Arts and
Culture. Mr Graham said: ‘These large-scale events are irrelevant to the majority of music professionals.
‘It makes no sense that we have Iveagh Gardens, but a 50-year old harpist cannot play in a hotel foyer because they are being illogically stopped from working.
‘Musicians do not want to be treated differently but they do expect to be recognised as being different.’
He also warned of the ongoing lockdown for musicians.
‘At worst it is having the gravest effect on mental health.’
The emails sent this week inform the department’s ‘customers’ that ‘we are contacting people in receipt of PUP to advise them of the range of support and services available to help those that are out of work and want to change careers, upskill or retrain’.
Recipients are also told: ‘An officer of the department will contact you during business hours’ and from there ‘you can register for Jobs Ireland and secure career advice, tips, a CV and interview preparation’.
A similar attempt to get artists to retrain in the UK caused a furore after an advertising campaign featuring a ballerina lacing up her shoes said: ‘Fatima’s next job could be in cyber, she just doesn’t know it yet’ alongside the tagline ‘Rethink. Reskill. Reboot’.
The ad was swiftly withdrawn. Now Minister Humphreys has said the Government is not involved in any such moves here and is committed to the artistic community.
‘I’ve worked closely with my Cabinet colleague, Minister Catherine Martin, in relation to a pilot programme for a basic income for artists.
‘Artists are the fabric of our country. I will always, as minister, strive to support them.
‘I will always do my best to support them as I will all our citizens who lose their jobs to Covid-19.’
Meanwhile, musicians and artists are planning a nationwide day of protest at noon on Wednesday against ongoing restrictions on live music.
The protests, which will be both socially distanced and masked, are being led by
Irish Music Industry
Stands Up.
Arts and Culture Minister Catherine Martin, did not respond to a request for comment.