More Icelanders support state support for artists than oppose it, and the percentage who support it is growing.
According to the latest poll from Market and Media Research (MMR), 53.2% of Icelanders support The Artists’ Salaries, an annual public fund which pays one-time sums to qualifying designers, painters, writers, actors, musicians and composers. At the same time, 46.8% oppose the practice.
These levels of support and opposition have changed significantly over the past five years – namely, more people are supporting the Artists’ Salaries and fewer people are opposing it. In 2010, 61.4% opposed the Artists’ Salaries, and only 38.6% supported it.
In terms of demographics, the age, gender, income level and region of the respondent had little effect on an Icelander’s opinion of the Artists’ Salaries, but political affiliation showed stark contrasts: those who vote for the Independence Party or the Progressives were mostly opposed to the fund, at 68.2% and 76.8% opposed, respectively. Social Democrats (80.3%) and Left-Greens (79.2%) were the most supportive, but the majority of the other two opposition parties – Bright Future (64.5%) and the Pirate Party (65.2%) – were also supportive.
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