Wait, how much are artists making?

A recent report reveals that the median income for UK artists stands at £12,500 a year, highlighting a growing divide between passion and financial stability. How exactly did we end up here?

You’re a recent graduate, eager to get your foot in the door. First, you might set up an online presence, perfectly curating your Instagram to showcase your style, only to be met with sparse engagement. Next, you might scout out a studio space, but you find that rents have skyrocketed beyond reach. And then, you might take on some commissions – small projects here and there – but you soon realise they barely cover costs, let alone sustain you. Before long, you're splitting your time between unpaid passion projects and a gruelling job in retail, desperately trying to make ends meet.

For many artists in the UK, this is an all-too-familiar reality. According to a new report commissioned by the Design & Artists Copyright Society (DACS), which surveyed over 1,200 visual artists, the median income for visual artists stands at a mere £12,500 annually – 40% less than it was in 2010. In these findings, over 80% report their earnings as unstable, often dependent on sporadic gigs or teaching roles to stay afloat. So, what does it mean to pursue a career as an artist anymore?