"Dr Amy Thomas and Dr Arthur Ehlinger, two of the researchers who worked on the report at the University of Glasgow, said artists were finding their earnings were being squeezed by a combination of funding cuts, inflation and the rise of AI.
One artist interviewed said their rent had risen by 40% in the last four years, forcing them to go on to universal credit, while Arts Council England’s funding has been slashed by 30% since the survey was last conducted in 2010.
Zimmermann said: “AI is a big factor that has started to affect entry level and lower-paid jobs. But it’s also funding cuts: charities are going under, businesses are closing down, the financial pressure on the arts is growing.”
“It’s very tempting to lay the blame at the feet of AI,” said Thomas, “but I think it is the straw that broke the camel’s back. It’s like we’ve been playing a game of KerPlunk where you keep taking out different bits of funding and see how little you can sustain a career with.”
The artist Larry Achiampong, who had a break-out year in 2022 with his Wayfinder solo show, said the fees artists receive have plummeted."
#UK #VisualArts #Art #ArtsFunding #Neoliberalism #Austerity #AI #GenerativeAI