Is poverty a lifestyle choice?
Wed, 19 Nov 2003, 09:35 pmcrgwllms1 post in thread
Is poverty a lifestyle choice?
Wed, 19 Nov 2003, 09:35 pmInteresting article from the Washingtonpost.com
Australian Artists Told 'Don't Give Up Day Job'
Wednesday, November 19, 2003; 1:30 AM
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian artists know they have to suffer for their art, but a new survey reveals exactly how tough it is to be an actor, writer, dancer or painter with average artistic income just scraping above the poverty line.
Nicole Kidman is Australia's richest actor, earning an annual US$27 million according to Forbes magazine's 2003 Rich List, but a survey of artists titled "Don't Give Up Your Day Job" has found one third of them earn less than the poverty line.
The survey by Australia's peak arts body, The Australia Council, found artists had a mean "creative income" of A$17,000 (US$12,230). Australia's poverty line for a single person is around A$15,400 a year, higher if you are married and have children, as many artists are.
More startling was the fact that half Australian artists had a "creative income," that is money earned purely from artistic work, of less than A$7,300 in the year 2000/01, showed the survey received on Wednesday.
($1=A$1.39)
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Australian Artists Told 'Don't Give Up Day Job'
Wednesday, November 19, 2003; 1:30 AM
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian artists know they have to suffer for their art, but a new survey reveals exactly how tough it is to be an actor, writer, dancer or painter with average artistic income just scraping above the poverty line.
Nicole Kidman is Australia's richest actor, earning an annual US$27 million according to Forbes magazine's 2003 Rich List, but a survey of artists titled "Don't Give Up Your Day Job" has found one third of them earn less than the poverty line.
The survey by Australia's peak arts body, The Australia Council, found artists had a mean "creative income" of A$17,000 (US$12,230). Australia's poverty line for a single person is around A$15,400 a year, higher if you are married and have children, as many artists are.
More startling was the fact that half Australian artists had a "creative income," that is money earned purely from artistic work, of less than A$7,300 in the year 2000/01, showed the survey received on Wednesday.
($1=A$1.39)
[%sig%]