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DACS launches Manifesto for Artists – a roadmap for artists out of the Covid crisis

Front page of DCAS manifesto for artists. Includes the title in large down the left hand side with white font on black. In the lower right hand quarter there are the images of four artists and above them is a pink block with a dark red logo in the centre.

Crowdsourced from artists' responses and their experiences of the past year, we are pleased to announce a collaborative statement of ideas and intent to steer visual artists beyond the Covid crisis.

Why now? - The current climate for artists in the UK

Artists can play a critical role in rebuilding our communities post Covid-19, but first they need to survive the most severe challenge they have faced in a century.

DACS has been vocal about the impact of the past year on artists. The statistics, from a recent survey of our membership, speak for themselves:

  • 73% reported that their livelihoods had been affected by COVID-19.
  • 54% have seen the cancellation or postponement of exhibitions and projects.
  • 47% are not eligible for any government support.

Now is the time to act, to secure a future where artists can thrive. Today, we launch the Manifesto for Artists, a series of key asks from visual artists, which could make a material and significant difference to the financial sustainability of artists in the wake of the pandemic.

What is the Manifesto for Artists?

The Manifesto for Artists has been crowdsourced by DACS, in dialogue with artists based across the UK, from diverse practices and at various stages of their career. It sets out a roadmap for how DACS will lobby to secure these changes in the medium and long-term and deliver tangible results to support artists.

Download the PDF here.

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