I been prepared for the Basic Income for the Arts Scheme but specifically now the guidelines have been published I want to share what I have prepared ahead of the application portal opening on Wednesday 15th April 2026.
A payment of €325 weekly for professional artists aged 18 and over, based in the Republic of Ireland that can demonstrate an active professional artistic practice (no amateurs or aspiring artists). This payment will be given to eligible artists for 3 years starting in September 2026, however the first payment will be a lump sum at the end of December 2026.
Yes because:
I will be attending a Basic Income Guidelines Webinar hosted online by First Music Contact/Breaking Tunes on Monday 13th April 2026.
At 1pm Wednesday 15th April 2026 the portal will open and I will submit my application before the deadline 5pm Tuesday 12th May 2026.
Then my application will enter a lottery, this will be an anonymised random sampling process and I will be chosen as one of the 2000 eligible artists to receive the basic income.
My proofs/evidence will be verified.
My name will be published, I will need to show proof I am registered to be taxed as a self-employed person.
I get my first lump sum payment at the end of 2026.
For more on the scheme view the full guidance published by the Department of Culture, Communication and Sport.
I have been meaning to share what has caught my attention, spaces I enjoy and work that has shaped my worldview. Plus I am sharing resources and platforms that have actually helped me navigate my artistic spiral. If you are a member of my blog be sure to check out the pinned post for more art. This newsletter is available to read for free so please share it with your friends.
Also we are boycotting Spotify!
Virtual Art Studio by Love, Builder of Worlds: Experimentation and Creativity
Sunday 5th April 2026
10am-12noon EDT/UTC-4 (Indianapolis, Miami)
3pm- 5pm WAT/UTC+1 (Dublin, Lagos)
4pm-6pm CEST/UTC+2 (Groningen, Berlin)
Free for members of the blog or €4.40/$5 for non-members
Aliah Sheffield Livestream Concert
Sunday 29th March 2026
7pm EDT/UTC-4 (Indianapolis, Miami)
8pm CDT/UTC-5 (Houston, St Louis)
2am WAT/UTC+1 (Dublin, Lagos)
Starting at $1 then $0.01 increase after each sale
Homegrown Visions Arts Collaborative - Da Black Queers Be Writing is a virtual writing group
Spring Sessions will be held January 11th -May 10th
Every Sunday 6-8pm EST
2nd and 4th Mondays 4-6pm EST
1st, 3rd, & 5th Wednesdays 9:30am-11:30am EST
Free to register
Homegrown Visions Arts Collaborative - Feedback session
Saturday 4th April
Time - TBD
Wednesday, April 1st
6:30 PM EST
Free to register
Heres art inspires my work and outlook, from books to music, TV shows to podcasts here are my spring 2026 recommendations:
Land of Milk and Honey - a straight-forward essay by oneofthemany about challenging the reality of being an immigrant in Ireland
My Workplace Bully - an emotional poem by Katlego expressing the cruelty and bullying they experienced at work
Yearning For Remission - a heartfely poem by Palesa Mou exploring the impact pain can have on a person
Image description: a close up picture of artist Raldie Young, he is wearing a black lace top and white beads. Single title "WRONG/RIGHT" is shown at the bottom of the picture alongside "RALDIE YOUNG" and his logo.
WRONG/RIGHT - Serving as the lead single for his forthcoming 2026 mixtape, PHOENIX,"WRONG/RIGHT" is a bold, high-stakes collision of Alternative R&B, House, and Jersey Club. True to Raldie’s signature eccentric and genre-bending style, the track blends the syncopated rhythms of his Afrobeat roots with driving, underground club production. I was hooked as soon as I heard it.
To Hive and to Hold – A Solarpunk Interactive Fiction Story by Aleya Jobson
Dismantling the Master's Clock On Race, Space, and Time - A radical book on time, quantum physics, and racial justice from artist and advocate Rasheedah Phillips.
If your oppressors reward you? - Poem - a poem about grappling with ambition and success in an unjust world by myself Love, Builder of Worlds
do not fuck the police - BLAQUEHEART
Image Description: A black and white illustration that says "kill all pigs do not fuck them" there's black hearts all around and a disabled black person in office wear shooting a pig dressed as a cop
Art work for Fuck The Police single
Image description: Artwork for Fuck The Police single. It is a screenshot from social media showing an African person wrapped in an Congolese flag standing on a silver car as a police person viciously attacks them.
Fuck The Police (feat. Kelechi Okafor & CHXPMONEY) - a song speaking truth to power regarding the pigs by ItsDjBabyBitch
Commuter's Commitment (Mundane Mondays) Music Video - a music video for my anti-work lofi jazz single, directed by myself Love, Builder of Worlds
Voices of IWA Podcast - a podcast focused on amplifying the voice of women throughout the African Diaspora who have made a choice to practice and live an African lifestyle through the incorporation of African traditions.
Simply More - a memoir by Cynthia Erivo which details her experiences as a Black British artist and entertainer
London - Nina Simone's Baltimore Cover (Live) - a live song cover of Nina Simones cover of Baltimore, recorded in 2024 by myself Love, Builder of Worlds.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - a sci-fi TV show following the ups and downs of cadet life in outer-space, diverse cast and queer representation and liberal themes
Wicked For Good... Was it? - an animated podcast reviewing the film Wicked For Good by oneofthemany, animated by myself, Love, Builder of Worlds
The barbarism of bio essentialism and how it is linked to anti-african sentiments - an essay based on Reddit post detailing the cruelty and anti-african nature of bio essentialism by myself Love, Builder of Worlds
222 years - Tanimoshe Who knows how to do it? - a celebratory post about Haitian Independence coupled with a call to direct action and mutual aid
so very virtual - my favourite substack, its a regular newsletter of online opportunities, virtual events, and helpful resources for these pandemic times
Learn Yoruba for Beginners by Abisola Babatunde - an audiobook for Yorùbá language learners.
tune.of.blackness - a virtual space dedicated to supporting exploration, discovery, and healing for individuals and communities through health and wellness. This space is for queer black people and offered by A.P. (they/themme + we/us) a queer creator + disruptor with an extensive background in mental health, social services, and community organizing.
Yorùbá Yé Mi - an interactive, communicative, introductory, multi-media program intended to provide college/university students with basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of language learning in Yorùbá.
Comradery is a cooperatively owned platform for creatives as an alternative to Substack and Medium. Check out Cooking Fulla Joy for joyful cooking tips from Erica Joy of Cosmic Healing
LettuceMeet - A web tool to help you plan meet ups
Photopea - Free web based Adobe Photoshop alternative
Writing Tips - a microblog entry sharing advice on writing particularly for people that have ADHD or similar symptoms
Divination for Liberation by The People's Oracle - a community space by Dayna Lynn Nuckolls focussed on sidereal astrology as a predictive tool for spiritual, emotional and collective liberation.
Open call for photography, poetry, essays, collages, drawings, paintings, interviews, playlists, multi-media materials, and any other materials that highlight black fatness in a creative and meaningful way.
Open art studio in Dublin, Ireland where creative people can meet in person, work on their own projects and utilise the free materials available with a seasoned artist facilitating the space.
This newsletter is available to read for free so please help me and share it with your friends.
